BEIJING — Vice-Premier Han Zheng has called for progress on the establishment of a fairer, more sustainable healthcare security system.

Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour to the National Healthcare Security Administration on March 26, according to an official statement on March 27.

Speaking at a symposium held during the tour, Han stressed improving the unified systems of basic medical insurance and serious disease insurance for rural and non-working urban residents and progressing toward universal health coverage.

Special attention should be paid to specific groups, with beefed up healthcare guarantee for patients of rare diseases and cancers, he said, stressing the need to address the problem of people becoming poor because of illnesses.

He called for a crackdown on medical insurance scams as well as gradual steps to update the directory of insured drugs under the medical insurance systems.