On October 17, the National Health Commission held a press conference in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, to discuss the promotion of the Sanming healthcare reform experience. Over the past three years, Shijiazhuang has invested more than 37 billion yuan into the development of its healthcare system, leading to the construction and expansion of 31 hospitals across the city.
Hu Qiangqiang, deputy director of the Publicity Department of the National Health Commission, emphasized the significance of adopting the Sanming reform methods as a key strategy for deepening healthcare reform in China. He noted that cities like Shijiazhuang, which are part of a pilot program for public hospital reform and high-quality development, have successfully strengthened government leadership to improve the accessibility and distribution of quality medical resources, further enriching the essence of the Sanming reform practices.
At the press conference, Ma Yujun, the Mayor of Shijiazhuang, highlighted the city’s commitment to learning from the Sanming experience. He stated that the primary goal of the healthcare reform is to ensure that the public can afford and easily access quality medical care. Mayor Ma outlined three key focuses of the city government: increasing investment, enhancing services, and achieving better coordination in healthcare delivery.
He mentioned that Shijiazhuang has allocated over 37 billion yuan in the last three years to bolster healthcare development, which has resulted in the construction and renovation of 31 hospitals. By the end of next year, the city anticipates that the number of general practitioners per ten thousand people will increase from 2.26 five years ago to 4.26. Likewise, the number of nurses per thousand people is expected to rise from 4.17 to 5.2, significantly improving access to medical services for the community.
In recent years, measures such as centralized bulk purchasing have led to substantial reductions in drug prices, with an average decrease of more than 50%, and a 70% reduction in the cost of medical supplies.
Moreover, Mayor Ma noted that one of the significant challenges in the healthcare sector is the uneven distribution of resources, which can impact patient care. To address this, Shijiazhuang has leveraged its capital city status to strengthen collaborations with high-level hospitals in Beijing and within the province. This effort aims to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of acute and complex medical conditions, allowing residents to receive high-quality care closer to home.
The city has established a national regional medical center and eight municipal regional treatment centers in the suburbs, as well as ten sub-centers in rural areas. These efforts are geared towards ensuring that common illnesses can be effectively treated within the city, reducing the need for patients to seek care outside their localities. Additionally, the city is actively promoting the upgrade and expansion of grassroots healthcare institutions to cover all counties and towns, addressing prevalent and common diseases effectively at the local level.
