The Chinese Red Cross Foundation (CRCF) and the Guoshou Charity
Fund (GCF) have jointly launched a "health for new village" program
to help build village-based medical services in the remote western
part of the country.
The CRCF has received 10 million yuan (US$1.32 million) in
donations from the GCF, a charity fund set up by the China Life
Insurance Company Ltd, as the initial fund for its rural health
program.
"The donation will be used to build 100 philanthropic rural
hospitals (clinics), train 200 rural doctors, and assist serious
illness relieving projects and research programs in
poverty-stricken areas in west China," said Wang Rupeng,
secretary-general of CRCF.
The "Healthy New Village" program is an subsidiary to the
existing CRCF program of "Red Angel", which was launched two years
ago, Wang said.
The "Red Angel" program has received more than 100 million yuan
from domestic and overseas donors. So far, the program has helped
set up about 120 philanthropic rural hospitals, and helped donors
to distribute medical equipment and medicines worth 200 million
yuan (about US$26 million) to medical institutions in 25 provinces,
autonomous regions and municipalities across the country.
More than 600,000 rural people have benefited from the
program.
(Xinhua News Agency August 26, 2007)