Health Care

Health care in China was traditionally dominated by the central government, but an increasing number of hospitals have privatized and bought their own medical technology.

China’s health care system was recently ranked 144 out of 191 by the World Health Organization, which shows the need to make their health care more affordable and accessible to the majority of their population. The system has adequate technology, but because 90 percent of the rural population is without health insurance, many people avoid hospitals whenever possible.

Chinese hospitals operate on a three-tier system, with local village stations, larger township medical centers, and very large province hospitals. There are 17,000 major hospitals nationwide. Hospitals in major cities on the eastern coast have been very successful, and now offer better technology and treatment.

Many people still practice Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), often at the same time as western medicine. TCM is a combination of several ancient medicinal practices like herbal medicine, acupuncture, and massage. It is often seen as the best care for mild problems like flu symptoms, allergies, and stomach problems, as well as more severe ailments like chemotherapy side-effects and drug addiction.