BEIJING — China will promote the development of medical consortiums to boost communities' access to quality health resources and intra-region resource sharing, according to a regulation set to take effect on Aug 1.

The regulation on the management of such consortiums was jointly issued by the National Health Commission (NHC) and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Under plans to be devised by local health authorities, a city or county will be divided into several grids, each of which will see the establishment of a medical consortium led by a major hospital and joined by several other hospitals and primary-level clinics.

In principle, the medical consortium in each grid will be responsible for providing integrated and continuous healthcare services to local residents.

The development of medical consortiums, according to NHC experts, is a key part of China's efforts to put in place a multi-tiered diagnosis and treatment system under which people's healthcare needs can be better met.