BEIJING, Feb. 28 -- China had established over 18,000 medical consortia of various forms by the end of 2023 amid its efforts to improve community healthcare infrastructure and accessibility, according to data released by the National Health Commission (NHC) on Wednesday.

The number of two-way referrals between higher and lower-level medical institutions nationwide reached 30.32 million last year, marking a 9.7 percent increase compared to 2022.

Jiao Yahui, an NHC official, said at a press conference that the government is actively improving the top-level design to create a more effective tiered diagnosis and treatment system.

Currently, 30 provincial-level regions have set up provincial-level supervision platforms for internet-based medical services, with over 2,700 internet-powered hospitals established.

Jiao said the government would proactively carry out pilot programs for setting up closely-knit urban medical groups in the future and continue to enhance the overall service capabilities of county-level hospitals.

Efforts would also be made to ensure that more quality medical resources are made available and evenly distributed among regions, she noted.