[The Epoch Times, February 09, 2023](Comprehensive report by Epoch Times reporter Ning Haizhong) 13 departments including the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the Communist Party of China recently issued a document stating that they support state-owned enterprises in establishing non-profit medical institutions, but many years ago the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission issued a document requiring hospitals divested from state-owned enterprises. This news aroused doubts about the CCP’s “walking the old path of planned economy”.
The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council of the Communist Party of China, the National Health and Medical Commission, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and the National Medical Insurance Bureau jointly issued the “Work Plan for Supporting the High-quality Development of State-owned Enterprises to Run Medical Institutions.” The document states that qualified state-owned enterprises will be supported in running medical institutions, taking the lead in forming medical alliances, and playing a leading and radiating role.
The “Plan” stated that state-owned enterprises running medical institutions are an important part of China’s medical and health service system. Adhere to the public welfare of state-owned enterprises running medical institutions. “Encourage qualified state-owned enterprises to set up medical institutions.”
According to news from the official website of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the Communist Party of China on January 12, in January this year, the state-owned China Power Construction Group and General Technology Group signed a contract for the professional integration of medical resources. This means that Power Construction Medical, a subsidiary of PowerChina, has officially been handed over to China Health, a subsidiary of General Technology Group, for professional operation.
The self-run hospitals of state-owned enterprises used to be a benefit for employees of state-owned enterprises, but it has gradually declined since the 1990s. Many state-owned hospitals were successively ordered to close and cancel 20 years ago. Until five years ago, the authorities were still cleaning up the situation that the “reforms” had not been put in place.
In 2002, six ministries and commissions including the State Economic and Trade Commission of the Communist Party of China jointly issued the “Opinions on Further Promoting the Separation of Social Functions of State-owned Enterprises”, which called for reducing the social burden of state-owned enterprises and requiring state-owned large and medium-sized enterprises to run ordinary primary and secondary schools, hospitals, etc. Public welfare institutions should be separated from enterprises within two to three years.
In 2017, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission issued the “Guiding Opinions on Deepening the Reform of State-owned Enterprises Running Educational and Medical Institutions”, requiring that “by the end of 2018, the centralized management, restructuring or transfer of enterprise-run educational institutions and medical institutions will be basically completed.”
At present, the authorities have also proposed to support state-owned enterprises to run their own hospitals, which has sparked heated discussions among Twitter users:
“Anding Hospital can’t be a good doctor”: “It turns out that many state-owned enterprises have their own hospitals, but in the end they gave them to other places, and now they have to go back?”
“Kan New Zealand”: “I was shocked to learn about the SASAC’s post and support state-owned enterprises to run hospitals. I would like to ask, there is a noble leader who is paranoid, speaks slowly, is obese, and has a big belly. I don’t know if he is looking for China COSCO or Should I go to PetroChina or China Mobile to see a doctor? I hope that these future state-owned hospitals can prepare some textbooks in the wards of high-ranking officials. Have a sense of direction.”
“kannaigui”: “If a state-owned enterprise has a canteen, it will reserve a few small private rooms for the company’s leaders to decorate. If the state-owned enterprise wants to run a hospital, it will prepare several high-level company wards for the company’s leaders.”
“xiao an”: “State-owned enterprises run hospitals, and state-owned enterprises can also run education. State-owned enterprises with Chinese characteristics are getting bigger, stronger, better, and fatter.”
Gu Guoping, a retired teacher from Shanghai, told “Free Asia” on February 7 that some people who run hospitals run by state-owned enterprises may take advantage of their privileges to enjoy special medical services: “These state-run medical institutions consume a lot of taxpayer money, and the corruption of state-run hospitals The problem is quite serious, and medical care as an industry can only exist in mainland China.”
Some netizens also thought of Sun Dawu, a private entrepreneur who ran free hospitals for the people but was persecuted.
“Liam”: “I’m tossing around again, what a bad fart. Sun Dawu is benefiting one side and running a hospital for the villagers, but he insists on arresting people and robbing the hospital and refusing to let it run. Now it’s going to run a state-owned hospital again, don’t bother, if you really want to do good for the people, just do it.” Change this evil system, and the common people will live a happy life in seconds.”
The outspoken private entrepreneur Sun Dawu was sentenced to 18 years in July 2021. The Hebei Dawu Group he founded was auctioned off at a low valuation. People familiar with Sun pointed out that the authorities did not dare to point out that Sun Dawu, who runs the hospital for free, may have committed the crime of blasphemy.
Sun Dawu’s good friend Wang Yingguo once told the Voice of America that Sun Dawu has developed rapidly in recent years and has become an independent kingdom; his gymnasium can accommodate 20,000 people, and the Dawu Hospital has at least 16 floors and is decorated with marble, which is very luxurious; Lang Wu Villagers in Zhuangcun and employees of the Dawu Group only need to pay one yuan a month. It costs nothing to see a doctor, and only 10 yuan for a full set of B-ultrasound and blood tests… These popular benefits have impacted the authority of the local government.
The CCP’s “state advances and private retreat” movement is obvious. In recent years, the authorities have restarted supply and marketing cooperatives and opened community canteens, etc., which has even triggered speculation about returning to the planned economy.
In October last year, several departments including the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the Communist Party of China issued a notice requesting that canteens be built in various communities in the next two years. However, the official media “Ban Yue Tan” recently reported that due to the impact of operating costs and operating difficulties, the first batch of community canteens had already lost money in operation and began to close their stores.
Editor in charge: Fang Xiao
