Doctor's orders
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The government's medical reform aims to improve the quality of the national healthcare system. ASIAN NEWS PHOTO
DO you get first-class treatment at your neighborhood clinic? Or buy *prescription drugs at a discount drugstore? If not, this could become a reality in the next decade as China works on a master healthcare plan to provide fair, affordable services for everyone.
Guidelines for the highly anticipated medical reform were unveiled on Monday. By 2020, the country is expected to have a basic healthcare system that provides “safe, effective, convenient and affordable” services for both urban and rural people.
Most of the guidelines are very *rudimentary, so 21st Century has tried to imagine how the medical policy will look in future. We take a young man – let's call him Jian Kang. He's 24, a new grad working for a private company:
Going local
The policy states that experienced doctors will be licensed for part-time work at various hospitals, including community health service centers. They also are allowed to set up a private clinic after retirement. This will save people the *nuisance of having to go to big cities for better medical treatment.
Let's say Jian needs surgery on his throat. No big deal. But the operation is usually only performed at major hospitals, so Jian's going to have to get in line for several months. Recently, however, a famous *surgeon from a top hospital got connected with a community hospital near Jian's home, where he does some work every week. Jian finds that he can schedule the surgery for the following week.
Fill it cheaper
The policy states that certain medicines will be available outside hospitals as well. A patient will be free to take a prescription to a drugstore or community health service. After the hospitals' *stranglehold on medicines is broken, the price of medicines is expected to come down.
After the operation, the doctor gives Jian a prescription. Jian compares the price of the hospital's medicine with a similar medicine at a drugstore near his home and finds that it's much cheaper. So, he just gives the prescription to the local *pharmacist and gets the medicine he used to have to go to a big hospital for.
Keep costs down
The policy says that hospitals will work out a pricing system for each operation or treatment, with all items clearly detailed. The medical insurance allows a patient to pay the hospital for the treatment beforehand. It is expected that the one-off payment policy will help cut unnecessary medical costs and increase efficiency.
Jian's throat operation costs 3,000 yuan, including treatment, hospital stay, and medicines. Jian is able to see the cost before going to the hospital and his health insurance paid for most of the surgery. Unfortunately, there are a few complications that delayed his recovery, but he doesn't have to pay a penny for the follow-up treatment.
英语词汇解析
denounce 谴责
diminish (使)减少
facilitate 促进
hospitalization 住院治疗
hype 大肆宣传
mediate 斡旋
missile 导弹
morale 士气
nuisance 麻烦事
orbit 轨道
pharmacist 药剂师
prescription 处方
restraint 克制
rudimentary 初步的
sanction 制裁
sphere 范围, 领域
stranglehold 束缚
surgeon 外科医生