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 Of the 31 provinces, regions and municipalities in mainland China,
15 should launch their local pilot schemes for better medical and
care services for the elderly next year, the National Health
Commission (NHC) said in a statement on Monday.
China has been mobilising resources to ensure that more vulnerable
age groups are taken care of as society ages. In 2020, citizens aged
65 and above accounted for 13.5% of the Chinese population, compared
to 8.87% registered in 2010.
A diminishing pool of working adults will also hamper China's
ability to provide and pay for high-quality services for older
people.
The pilot programmes should aim to increase the number of medical
facilities that cater for the elderly, for example by guiding some
hospitals to transform themselves into care centres or supporting
non-government organisations in setting up large-scale chains of
care centres, the NHC said.
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 The pilots should also
boost the number of medical professionals
specialising in elderly care, provide at-home
visits for old people with mobility issues, and
improve the pricing system for medical and care
services as well as how they can be paid for.
By 2023, there ought to be feasible experience
from those pilots ready for nationwide adoption,
the NHC said.
(Reporting by Roxanne Liu and Ryan Woo; Editing
by Kirsten Donovan)
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