Inadequate rehab services for China's disabled

BEIJING - Out of the 85 million people with physical disabilities in China, 90 percent need rehabilitation services, but only 10 million have access to such services, Health News, a newspaper managed by the Ministry of Health, reported on Tuesday.

Many existing facilities are not well-equipped, or are understaffed, lacking professional therapists or up-to-standard service capacity, said the newspaper.

To address the problem, the China Disabled Person's Federation (CDPF) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) have launched joint efforts in coupling rehab centers and health institutions to improve services for the disabled.

Specific measures include hospitals allowing their doctors to practice in rehab centers and train staff there, hospitals rating the service capacity of rehab centers and referring needy patients with stable conditions to licensed medical institutions.

The CDPF and the MOH have, since August 2011, endeavored to improve the rehab service network in 46 pilot cities.