From AFP, via TodayOnline.com:
China has failed to provide adequate health care to most of its citizens and the national health system is unable to properly cope with large-scale epidemics and diseases, the health minister admitted.
In a 11-page report, Health Minister Gao Qiang detailed a list of serious problems plaguing the sector and expressed concerns about its ability to deal with unexpected crises.
Gao blamed many of China’s health crises, including the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), on its ineffective healthcare system, due mainly to insufficient government spending.