Core information and interpretation of scientific medical and health education

(en.nhfpc.gov.cn)

Updated: 2014-11-23

VII. Call 120 for emergencyies and 12320 for medical and health information

"120" is the national emergency phone number that handles disasters and accidents, as well as critical patients. It’s available 24 hours. If an emergency, severe disease or accidental injury occurs, please call immediately. Don’t panic, stay calm, focus on questions, make clear and short answers on the phone, and don’t hang up until the other side does in order to ensure first-aid personnel get all the necessary information.

"12320" is a 24-hour free health consulting hotline available in most areas across the country. It can handle medical treatment guidance, consulting, diagnosis and treatment appointments, complaints, reports, advice, smoking intervention and psychological assistance services.

VIII. See a doctor in a civil and orderly manner, strictly abide by the relevant rules of the medical institution, and jointly maintain a good medical environment

Hospitals are a public place. Patients should fulfill corresponding obligations while enjoying services, jointly maintaining a civil and orderly medical environment. They and their companions should voluntarily abide by the relevant provisions of the outpatient service, hospitalization and visits; fully respect medical staff; support diagnosis and treatment work; and follow doctor's advice. They should take a line and show civility in making registration, receiving diagnosis, paying bills, taking medicine, doing checkups, and riding the elevator. Don't talk loudly, spit, smoke, barge into medical facilities (consulting and examination rooms) or litter.

IX. Opt into appropriate medical insurance, understand security content, and reduce financial burdens brought by disease

China has built three medical insurance systems consisting of a basic medical insurance system for urban employees, a new rural cooperative medical care system, and a system of basic medical insurance for urban residents, forming a preliminary health insurance system that covers all citizens. All urban residents should opt into basic medical insurance, and rural residents should opt into the new rural cooperative medical care system. This way, all of them can effectively reduce financial burdens caused by disease.

Basic medical insurance is a social mechanism to compensate worker’s economic loss caused by disease risks. Employers and employees will pay to build medical insurance funds, and insured personnel can get certain financial compensations from medical insurance institutes after medical expenses occur during diagnosis and treatment. The new rural cooperative medical system is organized, guided and supported by the government. Farmers can voluntarily opt in. Funds will be raised by individuals, the collective and the government. It’s a mutual assistance mechanism that makes comprehensive arrangement for serious diseases.

Basic medical insurance and new rural cooperative medical care are basic social securities provided by the government with a view to reducing the public medical burden, realizing equal medical and health service, and safeguarding public health. Their clauses, and rights and interests involved, can be accessed at the local medical insurance institute.

X. There are limits to what medical science can solve. The public should correctly understand the limit and rationally understand diagnosis and treatment results.

With the continuous development of science and technology, medical science has made great strides and has become a relatively complete and fine natural discipline. However, the human body is a very complex organism; there’s still a long way to go before we can fully understand how it works. We are still unclear about causes of quite a number of diseases, with no cure for them. The occurrence of a disease is related to various factors, including individual way of life, heredity and environment (natural and social environment). Medical science is no panacea, and doctors are not god. More often than not, a patient’s own health literacy, self management ability and understanding of relevant medical knowledge are more important.

During diagnosis, patients and their families should follow doctor's advice, actively cooperate in treatment, correctly understand the limitations of medical technology and uncertainty, rationally see treatment results, and avoid blindly blaming the medical personnel’s sense of responsibility and technical skills for adverse consequences caused by diseases. They should take standard or legal approaches for settlement if they take exception to diagnosis and treatment results or hold medical personnel accountable. They shouldn’t commit violations by disrupting medical order or injuring health care workers.