Li Sa, a deputy of the 13th Zhejiang Provincial People's Congress, attends the annual session of the top legislative body in Zhejiang. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

Li Sa, a deputy of the 13th Zhejiang Provincial People's Congress, has suggested to the province's top legislature that more support be provided for the development of the biomedical industry in Ningbo.

Li, who is also the chief anchor of the multimedia news center at Ningbo Radio and Television Group, made the suggestion during the annual legislative session, which commenced in the provincial capital of Hangzhou on Jan 26.

Statistics show that Ningbo is currently home to over 100 biomedicine manufacturing enterprises above designated size. The output value of the sector in the city maintained a growth rate of more than 15 percent in the past two years.

Three biomedicine industrial parks have been established – the Hangzhou Bay New Area Life Science Park, the Ningbo Biological Park and the Meishan International Health Industrial Park.

In 2019, Ningbo identified biomedicine as a pillar sector that it would prioritize. The move is in line with the provincial government's ambitious plan to develop the pharmaceutical sector.

Zhejiang aims to increase the total output value of the pharmaceutical industry to 300 billion yuan ($46.15 billion) by 2020, according to a guideline released by the provincial government in May last year.

Li suggested including Ningbo in the province's plans for the biomedicine sector and granting the city more preferential policies in bringing in research organs and projects from the Yangtze River Delta.

A green channel should also be put in place to enable local medical equipment to be included in the provincial procurement platform, she said.

The lawmaker also stressed the need to establish provincial facilities in the city including biomedical (medical device) industry service platforms as well as professional evaluation and testing institutions.

She advised including Ningbo as a test bed for major medical system reforms and helping the city acquire qualifications in cell research and clinical therapy fields.