Is it true that China plans to legislate to give priority to supporting the development of primary health care institutions?

A few days ago, the draft law on basic medical care and health promotion, which was submitted to the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) for deliberation for the first time, proposed that the state should implement a graded diagnosis and treatment system for basic medical services, and gradually establish a mechanism for primary diagnosis and scientific referral. The state gives priority to supporting the development of primary medical and health institutions and takes various measures to improve their service capabilities.

"The draft fixes the effective policies in medical reform in the form of legislation in chapters, so that some important measures in medical reform are well-founded in law." Liu Binjie, chairman of the Education, Culture and Health Committee of the National People's Congress, said that legislation is conducive to the further promotion and stability of relevant medical reform policies.

In view of the "blocking point" of high-quality medical resources, the draft makes it clear that the state implements a graded diagnosis and treatment system for basic medical services. Graded diagnosis and treatment implement the responsibility system of first diagnosis and referral audit, encourage non-emergency patients to go to primary medical and health institutions first, and connect with the basic medical insurance system. The competent health departments of the people's governments at all levels and districts in this Municipality shall, according to the medical and health needs within their respective administrative areas, integrate the medical and health service resources organized by the governments within their respective areas, and clarify the functional orientation of medical institutions.

The draft proposes that grassroots medical and health institutions implement the family doctor contract service model.