Jiangsu will improve the medical treatment and health care capacities for the elderly people during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, according to a meeting of the Jiangsu Provincial Working Commission on Aging on November 22.

The province will ensure the basic public health services for the elderly and promote the family doctor system with an active capacity building in hospitals, nursing homes and geriatric medicine.

By 2022, each of Jiangsu’s 13 cities that have a subordinate district will at least have one tertiary hospital specially for the elderly people. China has a three-tier system to grade hospitals, with tertiary hospitals -- which have the largest number of beds and provide comprehensive medical services -- at the top of the list.

The province’s counties or districts that have a population of 500,000 should also open at least one tertiary hospital for senior people. Among other targets, all counties or districts should be equipped with at least one nursing home.

In making proactive response to the aging population, the province will focus on building a three-in-one system that combines illness prevention, treatment and care for the aged. Efforts will also be made to promote the health awareness, improve the treatment of common and chronic diseases among the elderly, provide service to those physically or mentally disabled, and refine the health management.

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