"NOTHING TO DO BUT WAIT FOR DEATH"

    Jin Zhengzhi said that over the past two years, she and her husband managed to save about 10,000 yuan (1,282 U.S. dollars) out of their earnings. They supported her mother-in-law, who was in her 80s, and spent 200-300 yuan (25.6-38.5 U.S. dollars) each month so that their 20-year-old son could learn house decoration skills in the county capital.

    But in May Jin's husband was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. Since they had not joined the new cooperative health care system for rural areas, which is jointly funded by government and individuals, they had to bear the cost of medical care themselves.

    Six months later, Jin had spent all their savings and owed another 10,000 yuan (1,282 U.S. dollars).

    Unable to afford hospitalization, Jin's husband went home with a little medicine.

    Jin said, "It costs too much for us to see a doctor. The other day, it cost more than 700 yuan (89.7 U.S. dollars) for us to get a physical examination and buy some drugs at the county hospital," she complained.

    Without treatment, Wu Chuanlin's physical condition declined rapidly until he could no longer work. Jin quit her job as a housemaid and went home to take care of him.

    "With no income, we have nothing to do but wait for death," sighed Jin.

    Of the 960 households in Saozhou Village, families thrown into poverty by disease or by the burden of paying for children's education represent 20 percent.

    Besides the subsistence allowance system for the rural needy, Finance Minister Jin Renqing said recently that the new cooperative health care system, which is being tested in about half the country's rural areas, will be expanded to cover 80 percent of the rural population next year. In 2008 all rural people will be brought under the umbrella of the system.

    Jin Renqing said the government's per-person input for the system will be increased, from 10 yuan (1.3 U.S. dollars) to 20 yuan (2.6 U.S. dollars).

    He added that after experiments in some western provinces, free education will be provided for all 150 million rural children eligible for nine-year compulsory education.