Shanxi plans to build a maternal and child health services network, covering the whole province in three to five years, according to a statement from the Shanxi Provincial Government on Dec 18. 

The province will comprehensively strengthen the construction of provincial maternity and child health hospitals, officials said. 

It will do so by increasing support for infrastructure improvement, developing key disciplines and recruiting top professionals.

It will also increase support for facilities and equipment allocation and improving clinical, scientific research capabilities, as well as health care services for major diseases for women and children. 

The construction of city-level maternity and child health care institutions will also be strengthened. 

Officials said each city across Shanxi must build a Grade-3 (top grade) maternity and child health hospital. They added that the construction of county-level maternity and child health hospitals must be in accordance with the standards of the national Grade-2 maternity and child health hospitals.

As for the shortage of gynecological and pediatric medical staff, officials said Shanxi province encourages maternal and child health institutions to adopt various preferential policies.

These include increasing wages and providing subsidies for home settlements, to attract outstanding talent to work in maternal and child health institutions. 

By 2020, the number of midwives per thousand births and the number of obstetricians per obstetric bed are expected to reach 6 and 0.6 respectively. The number of beds per 1,000 children will increase to 2.2, and the number of pediatricians per 1,000 children will reach 0.69. 

At the same time, Shanxi will implement online maternal and child health services. It will construct a maternal and child health information network platform, use information technology to carry out remote consultations, technical training and business guidance -- so as to offer women and children more considerate, convenient and efficient medical services.