HAIKOU /China/, June 25. /TASS/. Over 33 million people have taken advantage of drug insurance services covering special pharmaceuticals in the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in Hainan Island over the past two and a half years. This was announced by Jia Ning, head of the innovation cluster administration.
"Since 2021, the additional public insurance of China's 21 administrative regions on provincial and central city levels, including Beijing and Shanghai, has started to cover special pharmaceuticals of the Lecheng zone," China News Service quoted him as saying. "During this time, more than 33 million people have purchased the relevant insurance."
The official stated that the medical cluster authorities are striving to ensure that as many Chinese people as possible "can get access to innovative drugs and equipment at a lower cost." To expand the scope of medical services, the Lecheng administration is actively cooperating with major medical institutions in Shanghai and southwestern Sichuan Province, he said.
"The financial burden on patients purchasing medicine in the cluster area is constantly decreasing," Jia Ning added. "Going forward, we will continue to form a multi-level healthcare system so that the population has access to an even broader range of high-quality services."
The Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in eastern Hainan was established on February 28, 2013, covering an area of 2,090.13 hectares. It is home to a number of modern clinics and research organizations. This innovation zone actively implements advanced international standards, and is working on the creation of China's largest duty-free drug store.