Nanyang boosts medical consortium to trickle down resources

A medical consortium headed by the Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanyang Medical College was established on Dec 16 with the aim of forging closer ties between first-tier hospitals and grassroots medical institutions in Nanyang.

A cooperative agreement was signed among the hospital, Xindianxiang Health Center, Baihe Health Center, Zaolin Community Health Service Center and Longxing Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital on the same day.

Members of the consortium will cooperate in medical treatment, technologies, nursing and pharmacy with each taking on different responsibilities based on their specializations. In addition to an alignment in pricing and medical reimbursement, a green channel will be built to provide one-stop services for patients.

To ensure that each patient receives timely treatment, the consortium will endeavor to create a 30-minute medical service circle. It means that people will be able to access a village health center within 10 minutes, a township health center within 20 minutes and the Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanyang Medical College within 30 minutes.

According to Wang Zhi'ang, deputy director of the Nanyang Health and Family Planning Commission, construction on the medical consortium is a significant part of the national medical reform. The goal is to bridge the gap in medical resources and make quality medical care accessible to everyone.

With the medical consortium at county level as an anchor point, Nanyang will accumulate the experiences in the process of exploration, laying a solid foundation for a future promotion citywide.