July 26 (Xinhua) -- Vice-Premier Li Lanqing has urged to carry out reforms of the medical insurance for urban employees, medical facilities, and the manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical products.

A medical insurance system for urban workers should be initially completed by the end of this year to provide people with cheaper but better medical services, the official said.

The vice premier, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau, made the remarks at a national conference on medical reform held in Shanghai on July 24-26.

The meeting was organized by the General Office of the State Council on the implementation of central leadership's decisions on the issue of medical reform.

A medical insurance system for urban employees is a key component of the social security system and is one of the essential conditions for the reform and development of state-owned enterprises.

Citing various kinds of problems in the pharmaceutical sector, the official urged to accelerate the pace of reforming the medical system in urban areas by taking the following measures:

-- To introduce competition among medical facilities to let patients have a bigger say in selecting hospitals, drug stores and doctors;

-- To change the functions of administrative departments in charge of the sector in order to improve macro-control over the public medical services;

-- To separate drug stores from medical facilities and prevent hospitals from profiteering in selling medicine;

-- To adopt public bidding in the purchase of pharmaceutical products;

-- To develop community-based medical services;

-- To reform the pricing of medical services;

-- To strengthen control over pharmaceutical manufacturing and marketing.

(From China Internet Information Center)