OPINION> Commentary
Preserve public in our hospitals
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-03-17 07:48

VIP rooms or other privileged medical services should not be allowed

in public hospitals, asserts an article in www.china.com.cn. Following is an excerpt:

In society nowadays, people can enjoy almost every imaginable exclusive service as long as you have money. Even some public hospitals have begun to build more VIP rooms. Rich patients can occupy an exclusive room for between 1000 and 10,000 yuan per night.

But hospitals, unlike five-star hotels, are a medical and social institution where saving lives is top priority. Especially in China, which is known for scarce medical resources, the number of beds available in hospitals cannot accommodate the number of patients who need them. Patients with no money should also be considered.

It is OK for private hospitals who have these VIP services, because they are not run by government funding. But public hospitals owned by the government have no legitimate reason to be merely market-oriented.

Public hospitals should and must serve the public's interest first.

(China Daily 03/17/2009 page8)