A vice-minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission has said that local governments need to do more to improve the health condition of poor people in rural areas, during a tour of the area around the city of Bijie, Guizhou province, Sept 12 - 13.

Ma Xiaowei got a look at Bijie’s county hospital and village clinic and its medical assistance, basic public health services and medicines, and people’s health and said, “The local government should improve medical services for poverty-stricken areas and make sure that poor people in rural areas can enjoy basic medical services and improved health conditions.”

Ma also convened a conference on Sept 13 to discuss ways to improve poor people’s health emphasized the need for health and family planning departments to do more to alleviate diseases caused by poverty and support poor people’s right to basic medical care.

Joining Ma at the conference were Zhen Wenkai, deputy director of the State Council’s Poverty Alleviation and Development Office, He Li, vice-governor of Guizhou, and officials from Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Gansu and Shanxi provinces’ and the Guangxi region’s health and family planning commissions.