From Chinese Press

Institutionalize social assistance

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-06-21 09:37

The story of a 13-year-old boy in Guangdong province raising money for the treatment of his mother by polishing shoes touched many people's hearts. About 300,000 yuan was raised and his mother underwent a successful surgery for brain tumor. Although it was a happy ending, the lack of social assistance in China tells a sad story, says an article in People's Daily. Excerpts:

Some extremely poor families have succeeded in overcoming crises with media help. The trend of the media drawing the government's and people's attention to solve has been effective in some cases, but not in all. In fact, the trend shows how underdeveloped the country's social assistance is.

What the media bring to public attention is just the tip of the iceberg. An illness in the family candrive a poor household into abject poverty, and expensive medical costs even break a household. It is heartening to see family members fight for survival, but it is a tragedy that they get no guaranteed institutional help.

It's time a social assistance system was established to provide material and moral help to poor families whose members suffer from serious diseases or are devastated by natural disasters. Such help should also be provided to people who can no longer work because of an accident or illness.

Social assistance is not only the last protection net, but also a necessary requirement to realize social equity and harmony. We should also encourage charity organizations and mutual assistance groups to help the poor. Only if the government supports social assistance can the medical insurance system mature and people's capability to resist risks be enhanced.