In order to maintain a harmonious relationship between doctors and patients and help the modern insurance service industry, China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) teamed up with four other government organizations, releasing a guideline on stepping up efforts to develop medical liability insurance.

The five government organizations jointly held a teleconference in Beijing on July 11 to exchange ideas on building a medical risk sharing mechanism, developing medical liability insurance and properly handling medical disputes.

The meeting was held by Ma Xiaowei, vice-minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission. Both Li Bin, minister of NHFPC, and Xiang Junbo, chairman of the China Insurance Regulatory Commission, gave speeches at the meeting.

The meeting emphasized that all local departments need to be aware that medical liability insurance is the foundation not only to ease the tension between hospitals and patients but also to properly handle medical disputes, as there is a growing demand to improve management of medical risks.

The meeting summarized the progress, which has been made in terms of building a medical liability insurance system over the past several years, calling for organizations at all levels to take actions to explore ways to share medical risks.

The meeting called for further efforts to include more people into the medical liability insurance program and improve insurance services. Strengthen collaboration to push the development of medical liability insurance moving forward. Explore a medical risk sharing mechanism that is in line with China’s conditions. Build an evaluation system to make sure that medical liability insurance projects are carried out.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission will join hands with government organizations to improve the relationship between doctors and patients. First, carryout projects to crack down on misconduct at hospitals. Second, further push the development of medical dispute mediation. Third, build a medical risk sharing mechanism.