LIFE SAVERS: Doctors at a hospital in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, operate on Siamese twins in an attempt to separate them on March 10 (ZHOU WENJIE) .

In order to ensure fair and affordable health services for all Chinese citizens and to set up a healthcare system that covers both urban and rural residents, the Chinese Government put forward a strategic task of deepening the healthcare system reform. The major objective of this reform is to provide medical service as a public service. In an interview with Beijing-based Guangming Daily, Li Weiping, a fellow researcher at the Institute of Medicine and Economy under the Ministry of Health, says that public hospitals are key to making this reform work and medical workers will need to drive this process forward.

PUBLIC SERVICE: Muslim women in Tongxin County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, undergo a physical checkup free of charge (LI MINGFANG)

Guangming Daily: Why should we stick to the idea of "public service" when reforming public hospitals?

Li Weiping: The right to health is enshrined in constitutions or laws in all developed countries and transition economies worldwide. It is a reflection of justice and fairness in a society. To fulfill their responsibilities in this field, governments all over the world offer relevant funds, services and the management. This is a test of a government's capability of public administration. The provision of basic health services and medical security is now a crucial policy tool to realize social harmony.

At the current stage, due to the imbalance of social and economic development in different areas in China, the gap among different social classes and its underdeveloped medical security network, public hospitals have to shoulder part of the government's obligations in medical services. In order to ensure citizens' basic right to health, the government must follow the principle of basing the function of public hospitals as a public service. Public hospitals are also an important vehicle for the government to offer public services.

Why is it said that the establishment and improvement of a compensation system for public hospitals is the foundation for these hospitals to maintain the role as public service providers?