Essential medicine principle benefits patients

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High medical fees and drug prices are long-standing burdens for many Chinese. And seeing a doctor often means crowding into several big hospitals and waiting in long lines. But the new essential medicine principle will allow grass-root-level medical institutions to play a larger role.

Community health-care service centers like this one are scattered throughout Beijing. Despite lower fees and neighborhood locations, they have a difficult time attracting many patients.

A patient said, "It's the lack of medicines, even for some common ailments."

A doctor said, "We have no medicines for pneumonia. The patients have to go to bigger hospitals."

Medicines distributed to grass-root medical institutions are now very limited. For instance, this government Web site for medicine purchases clearly indicates that some common medicines can be used only in bigger hospitals.

Patients are supposed to enjoy lower prices and higher refunds in health-care service centers. But many of them have to pay more in bigger hospitals to get effective treatment.

This is also an added burden to the big hospitals. As there is a relatively low price for registration and operations, these hospitals have to count on medicines and check-ups fees to make both ends meet. That sometimes means long lists of medicines even for minor ailments.

Wei Baoguo is among those who complain about the high cost. He was pressured to undergo a complete check-up, when the only thing wrong with him was a broken kneecap.

A patient said, "I think my chest has nothing to do with my legs. They X-rayed my head and heart, but found nothing."

The new essential medicines principle will be welcome news for people like Wei. An adequate supply of medicines will be provided to community-level health-care institutions. Patients will no longer need to scramble to bigger hospitals for medicines and treatment. Instead, they can enjoy higher refunds and convenient medical services in nearby institutions. Meanwhile, the government has also pledged to include pharmacies in the medical insurance system and the essential medicines principle. People will now find it easier to buy the medicines they need at a price they can afford.