Subsidy raised to improve basic health services

China has increased the subsidy for its basic public health services by 5 yuan ($0.7) to 99 yuan per person.

The newly added portion of funds will be used to further improve the frequency of the services and guarantee their quality, four departments, including the National Health Commission, said in a notice.

Health management for elderly people will be improved, according to the notice.

Digital chest radiography and hemoglobin A1C test will be included in the free physical examinations for people aged 65 and above.

The commission required relevant local authorities to strengthen continuous health management for people with chronic diseases.

The patients whose conditions are under control should receive health services at grassroots level health institutions, it said.

Those whose conditions are not stable should be transferred promptly to hospitals at a higher level, and service providers should follow up on their health conditions, the notice said.

They should strengthen guidance for residents with chronic conditions in adopting a healthier way of life, and provide customized dietary and exercise advice for them, it said.

It also asked the authorities to enable more residents to access their electronic health profiles.

Hainan city to host 20th Maritime Day events

China will hold a series of events in Qionghai, Hainan province, to celebrate the National Maritime Day, which falls on July 11.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of China's National Maritime Day, which was established to commemorate the ocean voyages by Zheng He, a navigator from Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

More than 20 events will be held in Bo'ao of Qionghai from July 10 to 12, including a main forum and a symposium, said Li Shixin, vice-chairman of the standing committee of the China Institute of Navigation.

More than 2 million ship crew members were registered by the end of last year, a 2.7 percent year-on-year increase, according to a report issued by the Maritime Safety Administration.

Among them, about 970,000 worked on seagoing vessels, and more than 1 million worked on inland vessels, both seeing a more than 2 percent year-on-year increase.

The number of female crew members increased by 3 percent to more than 300,000.

Joint campaign to curb solid waste dumping

China has launched a special campaign to address the illegal dumping of solid waste.

The campaign, jointly conducted by eight departments, including the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, aims to curb the illegal treatment of solid waste in three years, the ministry announced at a recent news conference.

The campaign focuses on illegal dumping and burying of dangerous waste, industrial solid waste and construction waste.

It also targets illegal dismantling of scrapped automobiles, home appliances and electronic products, and expired new energy equipment and power batteries.

During the campaign, the authorities will conduct patrols in key areas such as wastelands, natural reserves, forests and those by mountains and rivers to detect the illegal activities in time.

It is planned that by the end of this year, the country will complete detecting problems and making response measures. By the end of next year, the rectification of the problems detected will be done. By the end of 2027, the assessment of the rectification efforts should be completed.