China establishes national standardized pain treatment center

BEIJING -- China on Friday unveiled a national standardized pain treatment center in its capital city of Beijing, aiming to expand the accessibility of quality medical resources for pain treatment at the grassroots level.

Chronic pain lasting longer than three months has become a growing concern for an increasing number of people. Experts say chronic pain requires early treatment due to its complicated and varied causes, and the longer it continues, the more difficult it is to treat.

The country has scheduled pilot programs in a number of hospitals nationwide for the period of 2022-2025, focusing on the comprehensive management of pain, according to a work plan released in 2022.

The newly established center has started evaluating 30 community-level hospitals, and plans to complete the construction of standardized pain treatment centers in 10 to 15 community-level hospitals by 2024.