China's tiered diagnosis, treatment system to make healthcare more accessible, convenient: official

China is moving faster to develop a tiered diagnosis and treatment system, which will make healthcare more accessible and convenient for the public, according to a press briefing by the National Health Commission on Monday.

The Chinese government has rolled out a set of measures to speed up the development of a tiered diagnosis and treatment system.

The measures, recently released by the State Council, focus on encouraging people to seek initial diagnosis at grassroots-level medical institutions, especially for common and chronic diseases, while directing top-tier hospitals to focus on treating severe, critical and complex cases.

Under the measures, expert outpatient services will be extended to local medical centers to attract more patients, with higher-level hospitals providing support to enhance the service capacity of grassroots healthcare institutions.

The measures also include improving the quality and effectiveness of family doctor contract services.

To facilitate patient referrals, medical institutions will set up more referral centers and improve referral rules, while promoting the integration of medical treatment, operation and information management within tightly knit medical consortia.

"We will work with relevant departments to implement government-subsidy policies for medical and healthcare institutions that are covered by area-based health planning in accordance with regulations, improve a remuneration system that meets the requirements in development of tightly knit medical consortia, timely include eligible community-level medical and healthcare institutions in medical insurance management, and optimize policies of the basic medical insurance scheme such as differential payments and medical service prices, so as to provide stronger guarantees for the tiered diagnosis and treatment system," said Zheng Zhe, deputy head of the National Health Commission, at the press conference on the measures.

The construction of China's tiered diagnosis and treatment system is gradually shifting from the foundation-laying stage to the stage of comprehensive improvement in quality and efficiency, with one highlight being increased accessibility of medical and health services, according to the National Health Commission.

More than 1.1 million medical and healthcare institutions are covering both urban and rural areas in China, and over 90 percent of the residents can reach the nearest medical service point within 15 minutes, said the commission.

China's tiered diagnosis, treatment system to make healthcare more accessible, convenient: official

China's tiered diagnosis, treatment system to make healthcare more accessible, convenient: official

China's tiered diagnosis, treatment system to make healthcare more accessible, convenient: official

China's tiered diagnosis, treatment system to make healthcare more accessible, convenient: official

Colombians are heading to the polls on Sunday to elect their next president. The country's constitution prevents the current President, Gustavo Petro, from running for a second term.

Yet, many see this election as a referendum on the policies of Gustavo Petro, Colombia's first leftist president.

There are 14 candidates on Sunday's ballot, but the polls show it will likely be a tight three-way race.

The frontrunner is Ivan Cepeda, a 63-year-old three-term senator, representing President Gustavo Petro's party, the Historic Pact coalition. Cepeda has vowed to defend and deepen Petro's progressive reforms and social justice policies to reduce inequality. He also promises to continue the government's controversial "Total Peace" strategy to negotiate the disarmament of remaining guerrilla groups and criminal gangs.

"True prosperity comes from equality, from access to rights, and from transforming the peripheral and excluded territories of the rural world," Cepeda said at a campaign rally.

Running as a political outsider and independent is Abelardo de la Espriella, a 47-year-old lawyer, nicknamed "The Tiger." He has presented himself as the "authority and order" candidate who will reduce state spending by up to 40 percent in the next four years.

"(First,) we must fight insecurity. Colombia is suffering today from a pandemic of insecurity. Crime is out of control: extortion, cattle theft, smuggling, drug trafficking," he said to his supporters at an election event.

According to polls, the third candidate with strong support is Paloma Valencia. The 48-year-old senator represents the Democratic Center party led by popular former President Alvaro Uribe Velez. Her candidacy is backed by politicians and economists who are concerned with growing levels of public debt. They want to see a return to more conservative fiscal policies.

"I don't want to be a president who governs alone, locked away in glass offices. I want to be a president who stands with citizens, who embraces them, who reaches out to them, who has a team, and who governs to transform Colombia," the candidate said at the campaign event

According to polls earlier in the year, many voters are expressing concerns about unemployment, rising living costs, corruption, and, above all, public security.

The election comes after a turbulent year that the International Committee of the Red Cross has called "the worst humanitarian consequences of armed conflict over the past decade."

"(We arrive at this election in a tense atmosphere - tense) because of the economic situation, because of the security situation, and because of the narratives that have been built around the country's main problems. On top of that, emotions, ideas and social media have all helped raise (the tone,)" said Eduardo Velosa, associate professor from International Studies Javeriana University.

If no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote, a runoff election will be held between the top two finishers on June 21st.

Colombians prepare to choose their next president