Gröhe: "Continuing close cooperation to the benefit of patients"
Extension of the German-Chinese Plan of Action in the Field of Health Policy
13 June 2016. This year the fourth Sino-German Intergovernmental Consultations are held in the Chinese capital of Beijing on 13 June 2016. Chancellor Merkel travels together with the Federal Minister of Health Gröhe and other cabinet members.
In Beijing Federal Minister of Health Gröhe met his Chinese counterpart, Minister Li Bin for bilateral talks. Both reaffirmed the close cooperation of the two countries in the area of health by signing a Plan of Action for 2016 to 2018.
36 years ago the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Helath Policy laid the foundation for a health exchange between Germany and China. With the Plan of Action signed today, we continue this close cooperation to the benefit of patients and exchange our views on common challenges. These include, for example, to better adapt our health system to the needs of an ageing population and to ensure high-quality care in rural areas. It is our aim that patients maintain fast access to medical innovation. This also involves to make better use of the opportunities that digitalisation provides for patients.
The new Plan of Action continues the already existing dialogue in the area of hospital management, communicable and non-communicable diseases and emergency medical services adding the topic of digitalisation.
The individual topics of the Plan of Action are as follows:
- Communicable diseases and hygiene
- Oncology
- Hospital management, quality assurance, hospital financing
- Traditional Chinese medicine
- Emergency medical services and emergency medicine
- Promotion and development of the healthcare industry
- Innovation in the health sector
In addition, the ministers of both countries adopted a joint declaration regarding the 'Innovative health sector'. This joint declaration encourages a structured dialogue on the digitalisation in the health sector.
What is more, the Federal Minister of Health Hermann Gröhe and his Chinese counterpart, Ms Li Bin exchanged views on their important cooperation in global health policy.
During his stay in China the Federal Minister of Health Hermann Gröhe also meets with representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and visits the Tonji hospital including the associated Sino-German Friendship Hospital.