Xifeng county promotes health poverty alleviation

Xifeng county in Southwest China's Guizhou province has implemented precise and consistent measures to address local residents' problems with medical facilities, doctors and health systems, providing solid assistance for the scheduled eradication of poverty, according to the Xifeng health bureau.

In recent years, Xifeng county has invested more than 23.5 million yuan ($3.45 million) to improve the infrastructure of the county's hospitals. At present, there are two county-level public hospitals in Xifeng county: a grade II first-class general hospital and a grade II first-class traditional Chinese medicine hospital. The hospitals' combined operational areas have increased from 17,800 square meters to 53,254 square meters, the number of beds has increased from 391 to 778, and the number of clinical departments increased from 21 to 29.

Xifeng has also made every effort to improve the shortcomings in primary medical services, and actively improved the medical systems covering counties, towns and villages, to ensure that every town and every village under its jurisdiction has a clinic. Officials have said that more than five million yuan has been invested in the standardized construction of village clinics in the county.

Meanwhile, Xifeng has recruited more than 10 medical graduates to township hospitals, and actively implemented health contract service work. More than 300 medical practitioners, registered nurses and village doctors were organized to form 162 service teams, and have signed the family doctor contract service agreement with local poor people.

In addition, the county has formulated a health poverty alleviation program and set up a publicity team to publicize medical policies and relevant information, to help local people understand and enjoy the preferential policies.

CheWeiwei contributed to this story.