Hubei launches campaign to provide discounted medical treatment
Shanghai. August 11. INTERFAX-CHINA - Large-sized hospitals in Hubei Province will soon start providing discounted medical treatment and free medical diagnosis services, the Hubei Provincial Health Bureau announced on the same day.
According to the announcement, this will be the largest discounted medical treatment campaign the bureau has organized, involving the most number of hospitals. There will be 14 hospitals across Hubei that will provide discounted medical treatment from August to November this year and 36 hospitals in Wuhan, capital city of Hubei Province, which will provide free medical diagnosis from late August to early September this year.
A total of 13 hospitals, including Wuhan Union Hospital, Hubei Tumor Hospital and Tongji Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology's Tongji Medical College, will provide 35 types of surgeries at discounted fees. In addition, Hubei Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital will provide discounted hepatitis B treatment.
This is expected to benefit approximately 2,050 impoverished patients resulting in medical expense savings of about RMB 2.45 million ($358,712). Patients eligible to benefit from this campaign must hold certificates issued by their respective county governments proving their economic status in order to apply for discounted surgery.
Wuhan Union Hospital will provide discounted cardiovascular surgery for 20 patients that will lead to medical expense savings totaling RMB 300,000 ($43,924) while Hubei Tumor Hospital will provide discounted surgery for 60 malignant cancer patients. Each malignant cancer patient is expected to save RMB 2,500 ($366), the announcement said.
"We started providing discounted cardiovascular surgery for impoverished patients two to three years ago, which has led to medical expense savings totaling approximately RMB 1 million ($146,413) each year," an official from Wuhan Union Hospital, surnamed Huang, told Interfax on Aug. 10.
With regards to the free medical diagnosis, doctors from the 36 hospitals in Wuhan will head to communities in impoverished regions to provide free medical diagnosis as well as to increase health education awareness among residents.
-KZ