The latest news on September 9, major news media reported: the Ministry of Commerce, the National Health Commission and the Food and Drug Administration, three important departments announced:
Wholly foreign-owned hospitals will be allowed to be set up in 9 cities and regions including Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin!
After the news was broadcast, the whole network was in an uproar:
"In the future, it will be more difficult for ordinary people to see a doctor!" "Medical care is the foundation of people's livelihood, and it should be strictly controlled, not controlled by foreign companies!" "Who will supervise such a hospital, and who can be responsible if something goes wrong?" ……
However, there are also many people who believe that the introduction of foreign-funded hospitals may improve the crisis awareness of Chinese hospitals, thereby promoting the improvement of medical standards and services.
So, are there pros and cons to allowing wholly foreign-owned companies to set up hospitals in China? Why did the authorities make such a decision?
The source of this article comes from the official media [Red Star News], and the specific link is repeated at the end of the article, but in order to improve the readability of the article, the details may be polished, please read sensibly, for reference only!
According to detailed reports, the pilot project for the opening of the medical field includes nine cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Suzhou, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Shenzhen and Hainan.
Wholly foreign-owned hospitals also mean that the actual controllers of these hospitals are all foreign-funded enterprises, and such hospitals must use advanced foreign technology and equipment, and may also introduce some medical talents, which is definitely a good thing for some difficult diseases.
But in the same way, the cost will increase and the price will definitely not be low, so can ordinary people still afford to see a doctor?
The problem of "difficulty in seeing a doctor" has been said for many years, but some time ago Professor Li Ling of Peking University mentioned again in an interview, "The country spends 9 trillion yuan in medical expenses every year, but the problem of expensive and difficult medical treatment for ordinary people still exists." ”
Nowadays, the reimbursement ratio of national medical insurance has reached more than 70%, but the current medical expenses are still not low, even if they only need to bear the remaining 30%, which is a lot of money for ordinary families, so it is still "difficult" to see a doctor.
And will the establishment of foreign-funded hospitals aggravate this situation?
In fact, we can think about the purpose of setting up these foreign-funded hospitals, but it is to exchange the market for technology, although the medical level of the mainland has made great progress, but some rare diseases and incurable diseases, especially some diseases that require expensive treatment, or some developed countries have more advantages.
Then, after these foreign-funded hospitals are set up in China, they will inevitably be oriented to those high-end people, which has nothing to do with our ordinary people, and maybe they can also divert some VIP patients from ordinary hospitals to reduce medical pressure.
Not only that, if foreign-funded hospitals enter, some advanced technologies and therapies can be popularized in China, and it will also bring convenience to the people. In the long run, the pros of this decision outweigh the disadvantages.
However, there will be changes in the implementation of a policy, and some netizens said that if the salary level of this kind of foreign-funded hospital is higher than that of normal hospitals, will there be some medical experts who transfer to foreign-funded hospitals for salary?
In this case, wouldn't ordinary hospitals be "empty of people and money"? Foreign-funded hospitals certainly can't use medical insurance. If ordinary people suffer from incurable diseases, won't it take more time and money?
And those who have money can easily enjoy more professional treatment and better service, such a situation that no one wants to see.
Not only that, but this pilot policy in the medical field does not only include foreign-funded hospitals.
It also includes the establishment of pilot free trade zones and free trade ports, allowing foreign-funded enterprises to develop and apply technologies such as human stem cells, genetic diagnosis and treatment in the pilot areas. In the future, it will facilitate the registration and marketing of related products.
The development of new technologies and new drugs also has advantages and disadvantages, which may stimulate breakthroughs in the domestic pharmaceutical market and may also impact the domestic pharmaceutical industry.
But the words of some netizens are indeed very reasonable, there will be pressure only when there is competition, and there will be progress only if there is pressure, and perhaps with the promotion of these foreign-funded enterprises and hospitals, maybe the price of some expensive drugs and equipment will be brought down.
And if foreign-funded hospitals can really divert a wave of patients, then after the number of patients in ordinary hospitals decreases, there may no longer be the situation of long queues and inability to register.
Therefore, foreign capital is not all a flood of beasts, as long as it is used properly, it can also benefit the people's livelihood and society, after all, reform is a gradual process, as long as it is controlled in time, the benefits always outweigh the disadvantages.
Of course, some netizens said that China does not lack hospitals, but lacks a more appropriate management system.
Professor Li Ling once said, "The medical field must be established by the government, and cannot rely entirely on the market." ”
Therefore, I believe that in the future, we can find a medical system that is more suitable for China, and I also believe that in the future, we will be able to solve the problem of difficult and expensive medical treatment for ordinary people.
China once had the ability to reduce the $3,000 nucleic acid detection reagent to a few dollars or a few cents, and in the future, it will certainly have the ability to hit millions of anti-cancer drugs to the "price of cabbage".
Although there are some potential risks and challenges associated with the introduction of foreign-funded hospitals, we should not be overly pessimistic. Looking back on history, over the past 40 years of China's reform and opening up, the introduction of foreign investment and international competition in many fields has ultimately promoted the development and progress of domestic industries. I believe that the medical and health field will be no exception.
We should believe that under the supervision and guidance of the government, the entry of foreign-funded hospitals will have a positive impact on China's medical system, and encourage domestic hospitals to strengthen their own construction, improve medical services, and optimize management processes, so as to benefit patients.
Second, foreign-funded hospitals may bring advanced medical technology and management experience. Through the introduction of international leading diagnosis and treatment methods, medical equipment and talent training models, it will help to improve the overall medical level of China.
In addition, the entry of foreign-funded hospitals may stimulate the development of the medical insurance market. With the increase in demand for high-end medical care, commercial medical insurance is expected to gain more room for development and provide patients with more diversified medical security options.
Of course, we also expect the relevant authorities to establish and improve the regulatory mechanism to ensure that the operation of foreign-funded hospitals in China complies with national laws and regulations and the public interest. For example, foreign-funded hospitals can be required to assume certain social responsibilities, provide preferential treatment for patients with financial difficulties, or participate in the response to public health events.
Overall, allowing wholly foreign-owned hospitals is an important step in opening up China's healthcare sector. It is both a challenge and an opportunity. The key lies in how we grasp this opportunity, seek development in the midst of opening up, and achieve progress in the midst of competition.
Resources
Interview with Phoenix.com
Red Star News