The State Council made a series of policies this week in medical service, education, and administrative service.

1. State Council executive meeting on April 12

The State Council executive meeting, presided over by Premier Li Keqiang on April 12, decided to promote medical treatment partnership systems and strengthen safety and risk prevention in primary and middle schools and kindergartens, and passed a draft on implementation regulations for national statistics law.

2. Public hospitals will cancel drug markup before September

The National Development and Reform Commission carried out comprehensive price reform in medical service at public hospitals to cancel drug markups before this September, increase prices for medical services by medical staff, and lower examination prices for large medical equipment.

3. Improve high school enrollment rate by 2020

A plan jointly issued by four ministries, including the Ministry of Education and the National Development and Reform Commission, plans to increase the high school enrollment rate to more than 90 percent.

According to the plan, efforts will be made to implement free tuition policy for special groups, such as students from poor families, disabled students, and students from migrant worker families, and intermediate vocational education.

4. Food security and epidemic control in schools and kindergartens

The Ministry of Education issued a circular that requires local schools and kindergartens to strengthen food security and epidemic control. According to the plan, closed circuit television cameras will be placed in kitchens at middle and primary schools and kindergartens to monitor real-time food preparation and processing in schools.

At the same time, knowledge of food security and epidemics will be advocated to students in different forms, such as health lessons and seminars, so that they can develop healthy habits and improve self-protection.

5. Information sharing to provide convenient administrative services

Four ministries, including the State Commission Office of Public Sectors Reform and the National Development and Reform Commission, issued a joint circular on information sharing to improve efficiency in administrative services.

According to the circular, in 2017, the Ministry of Public Security, State Administration for Industry and Commerce, State Commission Office of Public Sectors Reform, and Ministry of Civil Affairs will provide basic information of citizens, enterprises, public institutions, and social organizations to local government offices, so that people can enjoy more efficient administrative services.

6. Implementation of grants for students

The Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education, People’s Bank of China, and China Banking Regulatory Commission issued a circular to further improve grant policies in advanced education.

According to the plan, the policy on grants for master’s candidates and PhD candidates will be fully implemented; grant policy for preparatory students will be improved; national student loan will cover all students, and the assistance policy of private schools will be implemented.