The?Health Ministry?announced that China?will
spend US$460 million to?update the country's public healthcare
system over the next two years.
Most of the money will go towards buying medical equipment, Zhao
Zilin, China's health ministry official in charge of financing told
a news briefing.
One hundred million dollars will be spent this year and a
further 361 million next year, Zhao said.
Of this year's outlay, 35 million is earmarked for the country's
national network for disease control, which played a pivotal role
in tackling Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed
349 people and infected more than 5,000.
At the height of the epidemic,?Beijing built a completely
new 1,000-bed hospital?on the city's outskirts in barely a
week.
The Health Ministry admitted that there are much to be done to
improve public healthcare system.
Premier Wen Jiabao said last week that?over the next three
years China would establish a disease control system and a
mechanism to handle public emergencies.
Zhao said the country would also purchase 1,060 new emergency
vehicles, advanced medical equipment for Beijing hospitals and
millions of dollars worth of hepatitis B vaccine.
The ministry will also overhaul its purchasing of parts for
medical equipment.
(Xinhua News Agency August 3, 2003)