GP system planned after student death uproar
Updated: 2016-05-13 07:35
By Shan Juan(China Daily)
|
||||||||
A patient waits at the front gate of the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps. The hospital made headlines around the world after the death of cancer patient Wei Zexi, who underwent experimental treatment at a clinic in its grounds. Wei Xiaohao / China Daily |
Limited information
Few people in China are registered with general practitioners, and limited public access to information related to health and medicine means they have to resort to other methods to learn about health issues.
"So the internet, specifically the nation's search giant Baidu, has become the most-popular accessible resource," Liu said.
He said family doctors can cover most healthcare needs, such as disease prevention and sustained treatment, particularly for chronic conditions, but in an effective primary healthcare system, general practitioners can refer patients to qualified specialists if necessary.
"They can serve as the gatekeepers for primary healthcare and individual health," he said.
Du Xueping, head of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association's general practice committee, said the lack of a GP system means people swarm to large public hospitals, even for minor ailments such as common colds.
She said the authorities have acknowledged the challenges of establishing a family doctor system in China: "A link to health insurance is being considered to make sure people turn to family doctors first."
The State Council has now ordered greater efforts to increase access to family doctors and establish a GP system by improving career security for doctors and diverting more resources to the grassroots.
Liu, of Peking Union Medical College, urged the establishment of a dedicated search engine that would provide healthcare information to help people to identify misleading information and make informed choices.
He said the system would resemble NHS Choices, the official website of the National Health Service in the United Kingdom, which is free from commercial involvement.
Launched in 2007, NHS Choices is the UK's biggest medical website, accounting for about 25 percent of all health-related web traffic, such as searches for information about symptoms, illnesses and the most up-to-date treatments, according to Liu.
- Canadian PM to introduce transgender rights bill
- Hillary Clinton says her husband not to serve in her cabinet
- New York cake show designs fool your eyes
- ROK prosecutors seek 17-year prison term for attacker of US envoy
- World's biggest plane leaves Australia
- Conference calls for females to be put at forefront of development
- Apple's CEO Tim Cook's eight visits to China in four years
- Annual New York cake show designs fool your eyes
- Divers find ancient Roman cargo from shipwreck in Israel
- Taoist priests worship their ancestors in Central China
- The world in photos: May 9-May 15
- Top 10 most generous companies in China
- Wine market shrugs off slump
- Terracotta teddy bears debut in Wuxi
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Anti-graft campaign targets poverty relief |
Cherry blossom signal arrival of spring |
In pictures: Destroying fake and shoddy products |
China's southernmost city to plant 500,000 trees |
Cavers make rare finds in Guangxi expedition |
Cutting hair for Longtaitou Festival |
Today's Top News
Liang avoids jail in shooting death
China's finance minister addresses ratings downgrade
Duke alumni visit Chinese Embassy
Marriott unlikely to top Anbang offer for Starwood: Observers
Chinese biopharma debuts on Nasdaq
What ends Jeb Bush's White House hopes
Investigation for Nicolas's campaign
Will US-ASEAN meeting be good for region?
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |