JING Rize: Ensuring Quality Healthcare at People's Doorsteps

JING Rize, a researcher at the National Academy of Development and Strategy of Renmin University of China published an article in People’s Daily titled “Ensuring Quality Healthcare at People’s Doorsteps.” The key points of the article are as follows:

The article discusses the importance of strengthening investment in primary healthcare, promoting the sinking and balanced distribution of high-quality medical resources, and establishing effective mechanisms to incentivize healthcare personnel at the grassroots level. Firstly, it emphasizes the indispensable role of primary healthcare institutions in meeting the medical needs and maintaining the health of the population. The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed the enhancement of the capacity for disease prevention, treatment, and health management at the grassroots level, highlighting the necessity of extending high-quality medical and health services to communities as a requirement for building a healthy China.

Secondly, optimizing healthcare resources and enhancing the construction of county-level medical consortia can integrate county-level medical institutions and grassroots clinics to form a service network, thereby improving the capacity of primary healthcare services. Taking the practice in Luxian County, Sichuan Province as an example, the establishment of county-level medical consortia can create a development pattern characterized by distinct features and complementary specialties.

Thirdly, expanding the scope of family doctor contract services can contribute to providing better quality and more efficient health services. However, it requires further strengthening of institutional safeguards, including implementing policies such as the management of the national essential drug list, promoting collaboration between hospitals and grassroots medical institutions, and encouraging family doctors to enhance their diagnosis and treatment capabilities and service functions.

Additionally, enhancing the capacity for disease prevention, treatment, and health management at the grassroots level relies on talent. The “14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Health and Hygiene Talents” sets targets for the number of healthcare personnel at the grassroots level by 2025 and proposes corresponding mechanisms for recruitment, utilization, cultivation, and retention of talents, including flexible talent mobility arrangements and innovative incentive mechanisms. (Translated by ZHANG Yuqing; Proofread by YANG Fanxin)