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Half of Chinese not go to hospital when ill: Survey
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-12-08 16:17
Hospital treatment is expensive to ordinary Chinese and about 48.9 percent of
them choose not to go to hospital when ill, according to China's third survey of
health care service revealed here Thursday.
The survey said 29.6 percent give up hospitalization because of expensive
medical fees.
A medical bill scandal involving treatment costs as high as 10 million yuan
(1.23 million US dollars) for a patient in a northeast China's Harbin hospital
has been drawing attention and criticism from the public recently.
China launched a reform of the public health care system and expanded the
decision-making power of hospitals in 1985.
However, government investment in this area has been gradually reduced.
Since 1992, special medical services, including better nursing and luxurious
wards, have emerged as marketization increasingly dominates health care reform
in China.
Currently, of China's total medical fees, the government's input only
accounts for 15 percent and 60 percent is paid by patients themselves, sources
with the Chinese Ministry of Health said.
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