Summary of Key Points
The National Health Commission recently issued a notice aiming to comprehensively upgrade the urban community health service system, with the goal of ensuring that every established street has a community health service center by 2030. The main measures include:
- Optimizing Service Locations: Streets with populations over 100,000 will have one additional health center.
- Integrating with Urban Development: New residential areas must be equipped with health facilities simultaneously.
- Enhancing Management: Promoting integrated management between district-level hospitals and communities, including the mobility of doctors between the two levels.
- Expanding Service Offerings: Adding outpatient services for pediatrics, dentistry, rehabilitation, and more.
- Improving Pharmaceutical Services: Ensuring that grassroots clinics can provide the same medications as large hospitals.
The ultimate goal is to enable residents to manage minor health issues in their communities, reducing the burden on large hospitals.
#### 1. Optimizing Service Locations: Full Coverage by 2030
The primary objective of this policy is to eliminate gaps in grassroots healthcare. By 2030, every established street will have at least one community health service center. If a street does not already have one, there are three solutions: converting existing small hospitals (primary care) into community centers, having large hospitals (secondary or tertiary care) send doctors to provide services, or building new centers if necessary. Additionally, for streets with populations exceeding 100,000, an extra center can be established. For example, if a street has 150,000 residents and only one center, waiting times for medical consultations could be significantly reduced by adding another center nearby.
#### 2. Integrating with Urban Development
The policy emphasizes that community health services must evolve alongside urban development. This means that new or renovated residential areas must include planned and built-in health facilities. Developers are required to provide community health centers or service stations as part of their projects. Local governments should also incorporate this into their development plans, making it a priority for the next five-year medical development plan. As a result, residents in new neighborhoods will have access to basic healthcare services immediately upon moving in.
#### 3. Enhancing Management: Integrated Management between District-Level Hospitals and Communities
To improve community healthcare, the policy proposes integrating district-level hospitals with community health centers. This includes:
- Doctor Mobility: Grassroots doctors can receive training at large hospitals to learn new techniques, while large hospitals should assign at least one doctor to work regularly in community centers to help improve local medical standards.
- Technology-Assisted Care: Utilizing AI for diagnostic support (e.g., analyzing CT scans or checking prescriptions) and ensuring interoperability of test results between different healthcare institutions, saving time and money.
#### 4. Expanding Service Offerings
Community health centers will offer a wider range of services, including:
- New Outpatient Departments: Pediatric care (for children with colds), dentistry, rehabilitation (for post-stroke patients), psychological support, weight management, and dialysis (for kidney disease patients).
- Inpatient Services: Providing outpatient surgeries and short-term rehabilitation, as well as home-based services for elderly or mobility-impaired patients.
#### 5. Improving Pharmaceutical Services
A major issue preventing people from using community health centers is the lack of necessary medications. The policy addresses this by:
- Prioritizing Medication Supply: Focusing on supplying medications for patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and COPD, as well as common drugs for the elderly and children.
- Consistent Medication Standards: Ensuring that the types, specifications, and manufacturers of medications in communities match those at district-level hospitals, so patients can get the same treatments wherever they seek care.
- Addressing Shortages: Establishing systems to report medication shortages, allowing for temporary purchases when needed, and extending prescriptions from large hospitals.
#### Why is This Policy Important?
The main goal is to implement a tiered healthcare system where minor illnesses are treated in communities, more serious cases are managed in larger hospitals, and rehabilitation services are provided back in the community. This will reduce the burden on large hospitals by handling fewer routine health issues locally. It is particularly beneficial for the elderly and patients with chronic diseases, as they can get the necessary treatments without having to travel long distances.
In summary, this policy aims to create a more efficient and accessible healthcare system that provides better care for all residents while relieving the pressure on large hospitals.