Health authorities at various levels will strengthen monitoring of treatment methods of hospitals, the majority of which are government-run.

    "Presently, hospitals are paying too much attention to making profit by selling medicines and ordering unnecessary tests instead of caring about the interests of patients," Gao said.

    He asked officials around the country to pick some State-owned hospitals and convert them to "low-price" hospitals for farmers, laid-off workers and poor people.

    Gao said that all hospitals, big or small, should provide emergency treatment for patients even if they have no money.

    "Any hospital which watches people die without helping will be severely dealt with," Gao noted.

    He pointed out that a nationwide infectious disease prevention and control network has been operational since the end of 2005.

    The network, which was first set up in 2003 when SARS broke out, has played an effective role in the fight against HIV/AIDS, bird flu and other epidemics, mainly in rural areas, he noted.

    Gao's pledges come amidst a backdrop of some depressing figures.

    According to the third national survey of medical service in 2003, nearly half the residents on the Chinese mainland did not see a doctor when they were ill because they had no money.

    In the rural areas of western China, 60 to 80 per cent of patients preferred to die at home rather than spend their money in hospitals.

    Experts estimate that at least 70 per cent of Chinese a majority of them in rural areas do not have any medical insurance.

    On the other hand, the cost of hospitalization has been increasing at 11 per cent annually in recent years, much higher than the rate of income rises. Enditem

(Source: China Daily)