China moves to boost rural health services as Covid cases surge
- The government announced a series of measures to boost supplies ahead of next month’s Lunar New Year travel surge
- Medical facilities around the country are already under severe strain following the lifting of coronavirus controls
A notice released on Saturday said the government would accelerate the production of Covid medicines, allocate more equipment to rural areas, ensure public access to over-the-counter medicines and monitor sales of RAT test kits and fever medication.
These measures were “to ensure the supply of essential goods and epidemic control resources in rural areas” and “to protect the lives and health of rural residents to the greatest extent possible”, according to the statement by the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council.
This announcement follows the removal of many Covid controls earlier this month, which had created concerns about healthcare systems in rural China, which the State Council said is “vast, populous and thinly resourced”.
Beijing has also demanded that local authorities stockpile Covid-19 medicines, strengthen health education for rural residents and step up the drive to vaccinate vulnerable groups.
It also highlighted the cooperation between hospitals in rural and urban areas to treat severe cases and “support healthcare facilities” in the countryside.
