Vice premier urges affordable medical services

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong has called for deepening China's medical reform to ensure affordable medical services.

China must promote the ongoing medical reform and make basic health services accessible to all Chinese people, Liu said on Wednesday while discussing the issue at a meeting with ministerial-level officials.

She stressed the need to establish an effective pricing and supply system to make drugs affordable, and urged authorities to nurture more medical personnel and increase their salaries to better motivate them.

To advance the reform of public hospitals, Liu said the trial of the reform will be expanded to 1,000 counties.

She also called for a crackdown on violence against medical staff and harmonious relations between doctors and the patients.