City’s health care reform model wins national award

The Luohu People's Hospital is incorporated into the Shenzhen Luohu Hospital Group, a grassroots medical group set up in the district to pilot medical reform. File photo

The CHIP Awards, billed as the Oscars in China’s health care sector, aim to recognize and reward innovation related to business models, management systems and major technologies in the industry.

The special contribution award, conferred by China Health Care Innovation Platform (CHIP), has acknowledged Shenzhen’s endeavor in adhering to the concept of placing people’s health at the center as well as its exploration in building an integrated, efficient and quality health care system featuring regional medical centers and grassroots medical groups.

Shenzhen’s health care system strives to improve the delivery and quality of health care services, pay more attention to the prevention and treatment of major and chronic diseases, and promote better integration of health care resources, according to the award citation.

It is also mentioned that Shenzhen has greatly enhanced the accessibility of quality and affordable health care services by adopting comprehensive reform measures involving policy and legislation, organization, finance, medical insurance, medical expenses, and the salary of medical workers.

Shenzhen’s exploration in health care reform has set an example in deepening China’s medical reform, said the award citation.

In August 2015, Shenzhen took Luohu District as a pilot area and innovatively established a medical group by incorporating five district-level hospitals and 23 community health institutions, in a bid to make medical services convenient and accessible to all citizens.

In 2017, in light of the medical reform in Luohu, the city decided that all districts in the city should set up a grassroots medical group according to their actual situation.

After nearly five years of reform, an integrated, efficient and quality health care system has taken shape in Shenzhen.

At present, 13 grassroots medical groups have been set up across the city, with at least one being established in each district. Meanwhile, a total of 15 regional medical centers have been set up in the city.

By 2025, Shenzhen will set up 23 regional medical centers and 23 grassroots medical groups, according to the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily yesterday.