(ATF) China’s central government plans to allocate a total of 45.7 billion yuan ($6.4bn) of its budget investment into the health sector this year following he devastating effects of the coronavirus outbreak
The aim is to strengthen public health capacity and disease treatment, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
Investment will focus on areas with severe epidemic outbreaks and areas in urgent need of equipment and expertise.
The hope is that the comprehensively the measures will improve the medical and health service capacity of counties, strengthen the construction of regional hospitals, upgrade and transform major epidemic treatment bases.
It’s also expected to reserve a certain number of treatment facilities and equipment.
China plans to run a fiscal deficit above 3.6% of GDP to fund recovery stimulus this year, including one trillion yuan of government bonds for Covid-19 control. Last month it issued the latest batch of coronavirus bonds to fund containment measures.
The nation has been battling intermittent outbreaks in cities since it claimed to have got the first wave of infections under control.
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