Brief Introduction of the Health System in China

Health System in China is developing rapidly. It hasOne of the issues of health system is prevention
made great achievements and provided benefitsthe disease. Before we start talking this issue in
to many Chinese people. However, the existingChina, we need to have a general idea of it.
system has some problems that we have toPrevention is implemented in three different levels
face and solve. My paper will show the structurecalled "Three Levels of Preventions".
of this health system; how is it financed; howThe Primary Prevention: it is taken as a primordial
does the prevention work and also some healthprevention in order to avoid the danger of the
issues. I will find and discuss the problems found indisease. From a large view, every country takes
these fields.primary prevention to minimize the latent
When discussing the health system in a country,threatens of disease considering the national
we are going to look at many different aspects.development. The third aim of primary prevention
Just like every skyscraper needs the support ofis to prevent the disease effect on a human's
groundwork, a health system is largely influencedbody.
by its structure. The stability of the structureThe Secondary Prevention: it means to discover;
decides whether the health system will rundiagnose and treat in clinical forepart. As each
effectively or not. So today let's start with thedisease takes a long period of time. So it will be
structure of the health system in my countrybeneficial to take early medical treatment before
China first.it goes worse. The best way of secondary
There is a proper description about the structureprevention is propaganda and education. It is also
of Chinese health system. It says that the healthnecessary to improve the diagnostic skills of
system is structured by a three-ladder net. It isdoctors. The Tertiary Prevention: it is a kind of
correct as we follow the mode of "Centralprevention during the clinical treatment. The
Ministry----Urban Ministry----Rural Department".prevention is taken to stop the disease becoming
These three ladders are the stanchions of theworse, to reduce the syndromes and deformity.
health system and they also manage severalFor those patients of serious diseases or some
different branches: health administration; healthone who has lost labor ability or even is
research and development department; healthhandicapped, the aim of tertiary prevention is to
prevention and protection department; healthmake them available to some light works and to
education department and the department inprolong their lives.
charges of the management, distribution andThe prevention work in China is urgent and
inspection of pharmacy and other equipment.necessary. Former experiences show the
Every department is leaded by the upper levelachievements and also point out the problems
and is responsible for different fields of health induring the work. These years with the leading by
order to maximize the working efficiency.national disease prevention center and effective
However in these years, the structure of theimplementation of local departments, we have
Chinese health system has changed a lot. Now itsome great achievements.
does not look like ladders. People give it anotherIn the primary level, the danger of disease is fully
visual description------an upside-down pyramid.recognized, the government is taking action aiming
Why? It is mainly because of the unbalance ofat putting the disease prevention into effect on
the structure and overmuch using of facilities andeveryone no matter sick or not. All different
human resources. Nowadays in China, most healthhealth levels have also used effective methods
facilities centralizes in urban areas, while at thesuch as regular medical examinations to every
same time there are only less than 8.9% in ruralone. All these work are important to prevent the
areas. The resources I've mentioned include mostdisease before it occurs. Also, we have stopped
of the resources in health system such asvariola, leprosy and some other disease in our
financing, hospitals and clinics, health insurance andcountry.
human resources. I would like to say somethingIn the secondary level, propaganda and education
more about human resources. Every year, weare put much more attention. A recent example
have more than 100,000 new medical workersis the national health promotion event. It is the
however we are still facing the deficiency ofbiggest national activity. In fast three years, this
medical workers in rural areas. There are onlyevent was hold in 23 provinces especially in 460
2.7% professional medical workers in rural areasrural areas. There were over 8000 hospitals and
now. The denseness in urban areas and the33000 doctors educated during the time, over
deficiency in rural areas have become a livid3,000,000 people got benefits from the event.
contrast. They just like the top and the bottomIn the tertiary level, we also have some
of the health system and make it like a pyramid.achievements. After hard prevention, we have
This kind of structure causes serious socialsuccessfully controlled the death rate of heart and
problems.cerebrovascular disease. And the living rates of
Next, let's talk about how the health systems areone, three and five years of liver cancer patient
financed.are up to 74.1%, 43.5% and 21.2%.
The financing of Chinese health system largelyAlthough we have these achievements, our
depends on the bankroll of government for a longcountry is still facing some hard issues. The
time. And it is almost the only way.minister of health said in this year we still have
These years, with the rising of health service costsome problems in preventing fateful epidemic
and medicine price, people seem to be lessdisease. The existing problems are: lack cognition
affordable to get health services. For example,of epidemic disease; prevention is less efficient
the one-off expense of outpatient and inpatientand the feedback of the epidemic situation is not
rises from 10.9RMB and 473.3RMB to 79RMB andtimely especially from rural areas.
2891RMB separately from 1996 to 2006. FacingOne major health issue is about children's health.
this abyss, the funds from government is notWe regard children as our future, so their health
enough to fill it. May be it is time to change ourlevel is closely linked to our nation's development.
mind. Some experts suggest that we shouldOur prevention work on children's health these
welcome social financing into the health system.years has some achievement. We have
The government has also realized this, now theysuccessfully reduced the infant mortality to 2.84%
are trying to find out the way to restrict thesince 2004 and have over 95% cover rate of
social financing and let them be am active role inbacterin inoculation in most areas. However, we
their part.are still facing some issues.