Chinese healthcare system: Genesis, reforms and response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The public health system is an important institutional mechanism for reducing society’s medical burden, improving people’s well-being, and, consequently, maintaining harmony and stability in society. This article is devoted to analysis of the development of the health care system of the People’s Republic of China. In particular, the article discusses the main problems of the last four decades of the PRC health system (since 1978 when reforms and opening-up were launched in China); current reforms in this area; as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the PRC health system. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed serious problems in the Chinese healthcare system: lack of resources (medical personnel, healthcare facilities, beds, modern medical equipment), modest investments by the state, exorbitantly high prices for healthcare services and medicines, distrust of doctors by the population, etc. At the same time, in 2020-2021, China has shown an example of a successful fight against the dangerous virus. The Chinese strategy is based on a policy of “zero tolerance” for COVID-19. This means limiting the spread of the virus through lockdowns, providing mass testing, as well as the conversion of public spaces into COVID hospitals, and the use of high technology in health care (Big Data, mobile health, etc.) were found to be decisive measures. Due to those actions, People’s Republic of China was able to recover from virus fairly quickly and show comparatively good economic results in 2020 and 2021. The outbreak of the new strain of coronavirus occurred in China in mid-2022 and a strict lockdown was introduced in some cities and provinces. The article analyzes the reasons of criticism of the “zero tolerance” policy by the World Health Organization under such circumstances.