Home » Metro » Health and Science
Outlying areas to receive medical boost
By Cai Wenjun |
January 10, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SUBURBAN residents face a trek downtown for top-level medical care, as only two of Shanghai's 36 city-level hospitals are located in outlying districts, experts said.
This is even though the suburbs cover 90 percent of the city area, Shanghai Health Bureau director Xu Jianguang told a seminar discussing the local health reform over the weekend.
Tackling this imbalance is one of the tasks of the city's health reform plan, to be enacted this year.
Shanghai is constructing five city-level hospitals in outlying areas to allow patients to receive top-level medical attention close to hand.
In addition, the health bureau is also looking into setting up several hospital groups, covering the three tiers of health care. A group would consist of: one city-level hospital; one or two district-level hospitals; and, at the most basic level, several community hospitals.
Hospitals in a group would be located in one district or else nearby.
Patients would be asked to sign a contract with one group, with a community hospital as the first point of contact. Depending on diagnosis, a patient could be transferred to higher levels of care within the group.
"The cost of undergoing treatment within one group will be much lower, as hospitals can share test results and allocate patients to the most appropriate hospitals," said Yan Bo from Shanghai Health Bureau.
"It will also improve efficiency, as only those with serious diseases will go to higher level hospitals."
Currently, more than 50 percent of patients at city-level hospitals are people with minor ailments, such as colds, and those with chronic diseases, such as diabetes.
"Establishing hospital groups will be a major task this year," Xu said.
This is even though the suburbs cover 90 percent of the city area, Shanghai Health Bureau director Xu Jianguang told a seminar discussing the local health reform over the weekend.
Tackling this imbalance is one of the tasks of the city's health reform plan, to be enacted this year.
Shanghai is constructing five city-level hospitals in outlying areas to allow patients to receive top-level medical attention close to hand.
In addition, the health bureau is also looking into setting up several hospital groups, covering the three tiers of health care. A group would consist of: one city-level hospital; one or two district-level hospitals; and, at the most basic level, several community hospitals.
Hospitals in a group would be located in one district or else nearby.
Patients would be asked to sign a contract with one group, with a community hospital as the first point of contact. Depending on diagnosis, a patient could be transferred to higher levels of care within the group.
"The cost of undergoing treatment within one group will be much lower, as hospitals can share test results and allocate patients to the most appropriate hospitals," said Yan Bo from Shanghai Health Bureau.
"It will also improve efficiency, as only those with serious diseases will go to higher level hospitals."
Currently, more than 50 percent of patients at city-level hospitals are people with minor ailments, such as colds, and those with chronic diseases, such as diabetes.
"Establishing hospital groups will be a major task this year," Xu said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
