The increase rate of medical treatment fees far exceeds that of residents' income, reported the Green Paper on Social Security 2007, released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences on May 28.
The paper said that the average urban resident income increased to 9,421.6 yuan (US$1,231.76) per year from 1,510 yuan between 1990 and 2004, and the rural resident income increased to 4,039 yuan from 686.3 yuan. However, the expenditures on urban and rural medical treatment witnessed an increase of 19-fold and 5-fold respectively.
Researchers suggested measures to resolve the price hikes, including reforming the hospital management system, increasing the production of medicine, reforming the circulation system, controlling the purchase of expensive medical equipment, and building up an urban and rural primary health service system.
