Wudang guarantees healthcare access to impoverished residents

Doctors provide free medical services for residents in Wudang. [Photo/WeChat of Wudang]

Wudang district in Guiyang, the capital city of Southwest China's Guizhou province, has achieved outstanding results in poverty alleviation work through guaranteeing residents' access to medical care.

Family doctor services and chronic disease management services targeting poverty-stricken residents have achieved full coverage in Wudang district.

To facilitate patients' medical treatment, public medical institutions within the jurisdiction of Wudang district have fully implemented the policy of "first diagnosis and treatment, and then payment" for registered impoverished patients, according to Chen Lin, Party secretary of the Wudang health bureau.

When going through hospitalization procedures, patients can complete the inpatient office's admission procedures using only their medical certificate and ID card. They are not required to pay a hospitalization deposit. 

At the time of discharge, patients only need to pay the hospital's inpatient department for the portion of the expenses that remain after reimbursements for medical treatment, severe illness and medical assistance.

As of Oct 22 this year, the 318 registered personnel hospitalized in public medical institutions in the Wudang jurisdiction all enjoyed this convenient policy, and the hospitalization deposit was exempted from 305,000 yuan.

Chen also introduced that Wudang has organized 35 family doctor teams to serve residents. From Jan 1 to Oct 22, they have provided health management services to 403 patients with hypertension, 67 patients with diabetes, 11 patients with tuberculosis and 226 patients suffering from severe mental disorders.