The Chinese government has decided to increase expenditure on health care, with most of the increase going to rural areas, said Vice Minister of Health Zhu Qingsheng here Friday.

Zhu made the remark at a press conference held by the Information Office of the State Council.

This year the Ministry of Health added 4 billion yuan (482 million US dollars) to its total medical budget expenditure, and 70 to 80 percent of the added money went to rural areas, he said.

The new spending policy aims to narrow the gap between city and countryside in health care.

Zhu noted that in recent years only 30 percent of the total governmental expenditure on health care has been used for rural areas, where about 70 percent of the total Chinese population live.

"Only 1.6 to 1.7 percent of the central government's total expenditure is for health care, and 70 percent of the health spending is used in urban areas, leaving only 30 percent for ruralareas," he said.

Urban people, accounting for 30 percent of the total population,enjoy 70 percent of all medical resources across the country, he said.

Source: Xinhua