Ningbo wins national recognition for public health services

A view of Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/Ningbo Evening News]

Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province was recently ranked first in a national evaluation of basic public health services.

The city has since 2016 topped the ranking thrice and finished second once.

Ningbo has in recent years made concerted efforts to improve its basic public health services.

The city has been continuously narrowing the gap in public health services between urban and rural areas.

Insured residents in the city are entitled to free physical examinations, with the more vulnerable granted free influenza vaccines and screening services for key diseases.

As of June this year, the city had offered free health examinations to 360,000 people.

Efforts have also been made to improve services for people with chronic diseases. In 2021, 815,900 patients with hypertension and 245,500 patients with type II diabetes were included in a standardized service system launched by the city.

In addition, health services have been made more accessible through digital technologies. For example, a telemedicine system composed of 44 telemedicine service centers and 270 online clinics has significantly expanded medical services to the public.

According to official statistics, medical institutions across the city provided online diagnosis to 212,000 people in 2021.