Intel Corp yesterday unveiled a plan to improve healthcare in 105 clinics and hospitals in rural parts of Zhanjiang over the next two years.

Working with the Ministry of Health, the municipal government of Zhanjiang and several domestic technology companies, Intel will help provide computers, telemedicine equipment and Internet access to the city's rural hospitals and clinics.

The new technology is designed to make the hospitals and clinics accessible to real-time video and help staff create digital health records.

The plan is a key part of the firm's contribution to China's "New Countryside Initiative," under which it will help promote IT in rural areas.

"How to better inform, educate and care for people living in rural areas is one of the major challenges faced by any government," said Intel Chairman Craig Barrett, who is currently visiting China, yesterday. "Intel is working with China to overcome the challenge."

He said Intel will also support the provincial government of Guangdong in establishing 300 rural community computing service centres, which will be equipped with computers with reliable, high-speed Internet connections by the end of this year.

The centres are designed to enable rural people to access vast medical, educational and commercial information resources.

Intel plans to spend US$30 million on the initiative, not only setting up community computing service centres, but also developing computers tailor-made for rural areas and training rural people in how to use them.

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