Starting January 1, 2007, new prices for medical services were adopted by Guangzhou hospitals. Though costs of diagnosis by medical experts and bed fees increased, the cost of 222 major medical examinations decreased.

According to estimates by hospitals, their turnover will drop three to five percent after the adoption of the new price system. Nearly RMB 100 million will be saved for patients every year, said the Price Control Administration and the Health Bureau of Guangzhou.

Contents of 9366 medical services were adjusted; prices of nearly 8000 services were changed. The overall medical expense is estimated to be cut by 2.61 percent and the incomes of nonprofit hospitals to drop RMB 99.1 million. The average medical expense per inpatient will be RMB 277 lower than that of the year 2005 and the expense for emergency treatment will be RMB 3.7 lower. 

Editor: Yan