The National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) held a symposium at Peking Union Medical College Hospital on December 24, studying President Xi Jinping’s important instruction that he delivered during his inspection in Jiangsu. Relevant people attended the meeting and had discussions about further pushing forward healthcare reform as well as improving healthcare service, one-on-one assistance between urban and rural hospitals, and resident doctor training. Cui Li, vice-minister of the NHFPC, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Mao Qun’an, director-general of the Department of Communications, hosted the symposium.

Cui Li said that according to President Xi’s instruction, the NHFPC is considering feasible measures to further push forward healthcare reform.

Cui stressed that the NHFPC should take efforts to fulfill four tasks at present and in the coming period. First, it should further push forward healthcare reform, taking public hospital structure management, personnel and income distribution systems reform as the breakthrough. It should speed up county-level public hospital reform, solving issues with seeing a doctor and lowering medical expenses. Second, it should push forward the equalization of urban and rural basic public health services, carrying out basic public health service projects through publicity and training, strengthening capital management, improving service and projects management, and strengthening performance appraisal. Third, it should strengthen training for health professionals, especially standardized training for resident doctors. Fourth, it should take efforts to build a harmonious relationship between doctors and patients. It will intensify its efforts to crack down on medical related crimes and maintain the normal medical order.

Cui required that health and family planning departments at all levels scientifically plan next year’s work based on their situation. Local departments should make better use of media of the health and family planning sector and the official website of the NHFPC in order to provide better medical service for local residents.

People in charge of the NHFPC’s General Office, Department of Healthcare Reform, Bureau of Medical Administration and Department of Communications; heads of the Beijing Health and Family Planning Commission; heads of Beijing’s hospitals; medical representatives; and media representatives attended the symposium.