Premier calls for deepening health reform

BEIJING, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday called for deepening coordinated reform of medical services, health insurance, and the pharmaceutical industry.

In an instruction to a national teleconference on health reform, Li urged breakthroughs in integrating services of medical institutions at different levels, abolishing all markups on pharmaceuticals and reforming modes of health insurance payment.

He also stressed developing a nationwide health care database and improving the insurance system for severe diseases, among other priority areas.

The reform results should be translated into the people's well-being and sense of gain, the premier said.

At the meeting, Vice Premier Liu Yandong called for enhancing people's access to high-quality medical resources and making family doctor services more available, starting from seniors and patients with chronic diseases.

Liu, also head of the State Council's health reform leading group, highlighted overall reform in public hospitals as well as improving drug distribution and pricing.