英闻天下——333 Minister Interprets China's Healthcare Reform

 　　China's Health Minister, Chen Zhu, has been praising the country's medical reform in the past years, but also says there are more challenges and objectives to be met in the following years.

 

　　CRI's Alex Blucher brings more details.

 

　　A nurse takes care of a child at Yinchuan Maternal¹ and Children Health Hospital in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous² Region, Feb. 12, 2012. [Photo: Xinhua]

 

　　After three years of reform, the Health Minister says basic medical security network now covers 1.3 billion people - that's over 95 percent of the total population.

 

　　At the same time, the out of pocket health expenditure³ is also said to have fallen from 40 to 35 percent, while average life expectancy⁴ has now risen to nearly 75.

 

　　In the past, China's healthcare used to be plagued by high costs and uneven⁵ access, with around 70 percent of the country's resources located in large cities.

 

　　Health insurance to the nation's vast rural areas was also previously⁶ neglected.

 

　　In 2009, the Chinese government began a three-year healthcare reform program designed to provide across-the-board healthcare services.

 

　　China has now set the goal of providing universal health care to every resident, in both rural and urban areas by the year 2020.

 

　　Chen Zhu has also talked about the most urgent task facing China's healthcare reform.

 

　　"One is to promote the co-ordination among medical hygiene⁷ system, health insurance system and medicine market circulation, as well as the reform of public hospitals. The other is sticking to the 'prevention first policy'. "

 

　　He also says the biggest hurdle⁸ for the health care is the reform of public hospitals, especially those at secondary and county-level hospitals.

 

　　70 percent of Chinese hospitals are publicly owned.

 

　　However, low government investment has given rise to accusations⁹ of "over treatment" and "doctors making a living on prescribing medicine".

 

　　Chen Zhu says public hospitals should behave like providers of public goods, but not managers.

 

　　Looking forward, he also spoke¹⁰ about the challenges still ahead.

 

　　"Healthcare undertakings¹¹ are still falling far short of the public's demands for healthcare. The primary level healthcare capability¹² still needs to be strengthened."

 

　　County hospitals directly serve over 900 million Chinese. Rural patients, however, tend to flood into major hospitals in cities to seek better quality services.

 

　　China has managed to develop county-level hospitals to help reduce the pressure on hospitals in the cities.

 

　　The latest five-year plan for medical and health service, aims for 90 percent of common and serious diseases to be treated in county-level hospitals.

 

　　Meanwhile, China's efforts in the healthcare reform have also won the acknowledgement of the World Health Organization.

 

　　For CRI, this is Alex Blucher.

1 maternal   

adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的

参考例句：

• He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
• The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。

2 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

3 expenditure   

n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗

参考例句：

• The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。
• The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。

4 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。

5 uneven   

adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的

参考例句：

• The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
• The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

6 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

7 hygiene   

n.健康法，卫生学 （a.hygienic）

参考例句：

• Their course of study includes elementary hygiene and medical theory.他们的课程包括基础卫生学和医疗知识。
• He's going to give us a lecture on public hygiene.他要给我们作关于公共卫生方面的报告。

8 hurdle   

n.跳栏，栏架；障碍，困难；vi.进行跨栏赛

参考例句：

• The weather will be the biggest hurdle so I have to be ready.天气将会是最大的障碍，所以我必须要作好准备。
• She clocked 11.6 seconds for the 80 metre hurdle.八十米跳栏赛跑她跑了十一秒六。

9 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 undertakings   

企业( undertaking的名词复数 )； 保证； 殡仪业； 任务

参考例句：

• The principle of diligence and frugality applies to all undertakings. 勤俭节约的原则适用于一切事业。
• Such undertakings require the precise planning and foresight of military operations. 此举要求军事上战役中所需要的准确布置和预见。

12 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。