Improved family doctor services boost public welfare

BEIJING -- More than 1.43 million Chinese family physicians are tirelessly working to provide quality primary healthcare services and contributing to building a healthy China.

These family doctors, whether working individually or in teams, offer a wide range of services to residents in need, including home treatment, long-term prescriptions and efficient referrals. Their dedication and commitment to improving healthcare in China are critical to the well-being of the people.

Such services play a crucial role in developing a hierarchical medical system that enables patients to receive their initial diagnoses at the grassroots level, meeting the growing demand for primary healthcare due to aging and fostering a positive doctor-patient relationship throughout the country.

During the first session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in 2018, Wu Yihuan, a CPPCC member with extensive healthcare experience, submitted a proposal on how to improve family physician services. Her proposal emphasized the importance of clarifying the scope of such services and continuously enhancing the system to ensure high-quality healthcare services for all.

Wu's proposal was met with an immediate response from the National Health Commission (NHC), with officials responsible for primary healthcare reaching out to her to discuss the next stage of the work in further detail.

Based on the suggestions and proposals of CPPCC members like Wu and representatives of the National People's Congress (NPC), the NHC released an improved edition of the standards and norms on family physician services in September 2018.

Chinese family physicians have undertaken numerous tasks in the fight against COVID-19 over the past few years, in an effort to meet the health demands of the public.

Thanks to the aid of family physicians, over 13 million residents in China were able to receive home treatment as the country entered a new phase of epidemic prevention and control in January.

Doctors made more than 23 million home visits, and assisted over 190 million people over the age of 65 in health surveys.

The coverage rate of family physician services for the whole population and key populations will grow by one to three percentage points each year, and will reach more than 75 percent by 2035, according to an official document on promoting high-quality family physician services issued by the NHC and other five departments in March 2022.

The NHC said it will continue to pay close attention to the suggestions and proposals of both NPC representatives and CPPCC members regarding public health, and work towards promoting high-quality development in this area.