China's national health watchdog released a development plan on January 4, focusing on the cultivation of medical professionals in urgent need.

According to the national health and family planning talents development plan for the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) period released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission, the number of urgent needed health talents, including pediatricians and general medical practitioners, will be enhanced.

It further outlines that by 2020, China's total number of national health and family planning talents is estimated to reach 12.55 million, of which more than 300,000 will be general medical practitioners.

The number of general practitioners per 1,000 people is said to reach 2.5 or above, with an average of 3.14 registered nurses and 0.83 professional public health staff. By 2020, there will be at least one doctor for every one thousand rural residents, said the plan.

It also noted that more special talents will be working at basic-level health establishments in remote and poor area across the country.

Specialist training in pediatrics, psychiatry, clinical psychotherapy, and geriatrics will also be established, and talents in traditional Chinese medicine will be enhanced through a series of programs.

The plan also touched upon topics including the salary system reform in the health sector and the restructuring of the registration process of practicing doctors.