The city of Xiamen, Fujian province, says that it plans to establish an emergency fund for diseases to help people who are unable to pay their medical fees get proper treatment, www.fjsen.com reported, on Feb 18, saying that this will relieve hospitals of the worry about getting paid for emergency treatments so they do not have any excuse to refuse or delay it.

The funds will come from various sources, including government and donations from all parts of society and is expected to start at around 10 million yuan ($1.6 million), 7 million of that from municipal sources and 3 million from district offices. There will also be an online inquiry system established to give the public information on the use of the funds.

By Lu Ting from China Daily Fujian Bureau, and Zhao Qian

Edited by Roger Bradshaw