North China's Shanxi will focus on diseases with a high mortality and high referral rate, strengthen the construction of regional medical centers, and strive to provide patients with serious illnesses with efficient treatment within the province within the next five years.

These goals were set by the province in its plan to strengthen the high-quality development of local public hospitals.

Shanxi will strengthen innovation in systems, technology, models and management, accelerate the expansion and regional balanced distribution of high-quality medical resources, and establish and improve modern hospital management systems, so as to better provide high-quality and efficient medical and health services and prevent major epidemics and health emergencies.

The construction of regional medical centers will be piloted by Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital, and the Hospital of Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine. The province will also choose one third-grade public hospital in the cities of Datong, Changzhi, Linfen, and Yuncheng, respectively, to pilot the construction of provincial-level regional medical centers, with the aim of increasing regional medical service capacity.

The province plans to set up urban medical groups led by third-grade public hospitals that coordinate the resources of other hospitals, primary medical and health institutions, and public health institutions within its jurisdiction.