China channels more county-level medical professionals to grassroots healthcare units: NHC

China is intensifying efforts in channeling medical professionals from its county-level hospitals to lower-level healthcare institutions to better meet public demand, with over 90 percent of counties nationwide now regularly assigning their hospital staff to township and village-level units for medical service, according to the National Health Commission (NHC) on Thursday.

As part of China's ongoing healthcare reform, sending experienced medical professionals from counties to nearby townships and villages helps address deficiencies in grassroots medical services.

"At present, 90.9 percent of counties nationwide have deployed staff from county-level hospitals to township and village clinics, with long-term personnel stationed there. Medical staff are required to stay at these clinics for at least six months and undergo regular rotations. This approach is to ensure township and village-level medical units offer adequate, reliable services to locals," said Lei Haichao, head of the NHC, at a press conference in Beijing.

In addition, Lei emphasized the importance of advancing the development of county-level medical consortia, aiming to ensure that common diseases are treated at the county level, while routine healthcare needs are managed at the grassroots level.

"By the end of 2025, over 90 percent of counties nationwide are expected to establish county-level medical consortia. This will improve coordination between higher and lower-level medical units, streamline information sharing, and increase personnel exchanges, leading to continual improvements in grassroots healthcare services," added Lei.

According to the NHC, average life expectancy in China has risen to 78.6 years as of 2023.

By the end of 2023, more than 80,000 Chinese students have been enrolled in the country's tuition-free bachelor program in medicine. The program aims to train more medical professionals for medical institutions in rural areas to improve grassroots medical services.

China channels more county-level medical professionals to grassroots healthcare units: NHC

China channels more county-level medical professionals to grassroots healthcare units: NHC

Floodwaters in Lithia, a severely affected area in the southeastern U.S. state of Florida by Hurricane Milton, have not receded yet even four days after the landfall of the hurricane.

Milton hit the west-central coast of Florida as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday night, bringing strong winds, destructive tornadoes, and heavy rains before weakening to a Category 1 as it swiftly barreled across central Florida.

Lithia, situated southwest of Tampa, bore the brunt of the hurricane as it was right in the the path of Milton.

The heavy rainfall triggered by Milton swelled local rivers, resulting in flooding and the submersion of numerous homes, with many areas in Lithia still drenching in floodwaters.

"Milton came through and wrecked it. The storm didn't do too much of the flooding after the fact. About 12 hours after the storm, the water was in my backyard, didn't think it was going to get much higher 36 hours after the storm. Way better than a lot of people behind me, hopefully they're okay behind. But yeah, I got my neighbors. I think they got probably four or five, maybe six feet of water in the house, that yellow house over there," said Vladimir, a resident affected by the floods in Lithia.

Vladimir also said that they have not received any government assistance so far, with only local community organizations offering some food and water to the affected residents.

In parts of western and central Florida, river levels may continue to rise, with multiple areas still under flood alerts.

Rescue agencies caution that the floods are likely to impede the progress of post-disaster relief efforts. By Sunday afternoon, over 840,000 households in Florida were still without power, with almost 30 percent of gas stations unable to provide fuel.

Milton is the fifth hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast so far in 2024, with three of them striking Florida.

Floodwaters linger in Florida's hard-hit area days after Hurricane Milton's landfall

Floodwaters linger in Florida's hard-hit area days after Hurricane Milton's landfall