The Chinese healthcare system comprises hospitals, local healthcare institutions and specialized public health institutions.
Traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine are practiced in tandem to ensure the health of Chinese people. Traditional Chinese medicine serves as the mainstream of the Chinese medical tradition, vert ousands of years, traditional Chinese medicine has developed many unique theirues and skills, contributing to the health of Chinese people under the ideology of “Oneness of Heaven and Man”. With social and scientific progress and development, the distinguishing features and strengths of traditional Chinese medicine will certainly become a valuable addition to global medicine.
Chinese Healthcare: An Overview
1. Chinese Healthcare System
Overall Health Condition of Chinese People
The overall health condition of Chinese people has been continuously improving. According to the statistics published by the Chinese government in 2017, the average life expectancy was 76.7 years. The maternal mortality rate was 19.6/100,000 and the infant mortality rate was 6.8/1,000.
The Framework of China’s Healthcare System
Atter long-term development, China has established a healthcare system consisting of hospitals, local healthcare institutions and specialized public health institutions.
Hospitals
Hospitals in China include general hospitals, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospitals, integrated TCM/Western medicine hospitals, ethnic minority hospitals, and various specialized hospitals. Based on registration types, hospitals in China can also be divided into public hospitals and private hospitals. Public hospitals are the main bodies of the Chinese healthcare system and carry the responsibility of providing medical care, offering medical education, conducting medical research and other duties requested by the government such as providing public health service and emergency health aid.
Hospitals are organized according to a three-tier system and are designated as Class 3, Class 2 and Class 1 institutions (top down). Further, these three classes are subdivided into 3 levels: A, B and C. In addition, one special level 3AA is available at 3A hospitals. This system is hence referred to in Chinese as 3 classes and 10 levels. 3AA is the most advanced level oi'all the hospitalls in China.
Local Healthcare Institutions
Local healthcare institutions mainly consist of community health centers, township clinics and village clinics. Their main responsibilities are to provide basic public health services such as clntion, health care, and health education. They also provide diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation services for the public, and when necessary, refer patients beyond their service capacity to the advanced hospitals.
Specialized Public Health Institutions
Specialized public health institutions include disease prevention and control centers, emergency centers, maternity and child healthcare institutions, blood collection and supply institutions, and health supervision agencies. They provide various professional health services such as disease prevention and control, first aid, maternity and child healthcare, and blood collection and supply services.Because of the differences between urban and rural areas, the healthcare system in Chinese cities mainly consists of Class 3 hospitals and community health centers. Rural healthcare services consist of county hospitals, township clinics and village clinics.
2. Traditional Chinese Medicine
There are 56 ethnic groups in China. The majority group is the Han, accounting for more than 90% ofthe population, and the remaining population is composed of 55 minority groups. Each ethnic group has its own historic accumulation ol’medical knowledge which helps to form a rich and colorful Chinese medical tradition. Tradilional Chinese medicine originated from the Han nationality and has been the mainstream of traditional Chinese heahheare for two thousand years. The tradilional medicine of other ethnic groups is called ethnic medicine, which has been influenced by traditional Chinese medicine to varying degrees.
Tibetan Medicine
Tibetans live on the cold Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The uniqueness of this region and the complex natural conditions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau make it rich in natural herb resources. There are more than 3, 000 kinds of Tibetan medicine. Tibetan medicine has a long history and obvious effects. The most common Tibetan medicines include Cordyceps sinensis and Rhodiola.
Mongolian Medicine
Mongolians live in the northern plateau areas, and hunting and nomadism are central to their lifestyle. Due to the precarious nature of their existence, Mongolians have mastered therapies such as hot compress and brain shaking therapy a long time ago. Mongolian medicine has unique advantages in the treatment of bone injuries and concussions.
Hui Medicine
Hui medicine is the combination of traditional Chinese medicine and Arab- Islamic medicine, It is well-known for its fragrant medicine, which was first introduced from Arab and other Islamic countries. The dosage forms of fragrant medicine include Chinese-style pills, powder, ointment and soup, such as benzoin pills and Huihui medical patch, as well as Arabic-style volatilizers, such as nose drops, dew liquor, oil, etc.
Zhuang Medicine
The Zhuang people mainly live in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the southwestern part of China. The region has a warm climate and abundant rainfall. It is a natural treasure house of plant medicine, animal medicine and mineral medicine. At present, more than 2, 000 kinds of commonly used Zhuang medicines have been discovered, such as Flemingia philippinensis, Lobelia chinensis and so on. In terms of diagnostic techniques, the most distinctive features of Zhuang medicine are the “eye observation” and “nail observation” diagnostic methods.
Cultural Notes
Eye Observation
Diagnosis made by observing the condition of the patients eyes (pupil, sclera, eyelid, etc.).
Nail Observation
Diagnosis made by observing the shape, texture, color and spots of the patient s nails.