China aims to nurture trained rural doctors

China has set targets for its nurturing of trained doctors in order to better serve the country's huge rural population, according to a plan publicized on Monday by the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

The plan, which was jointly issued by several government departments, urges improvements to the country's education and training system for rural doctors, in a bid to ensure that 60 percent of such doctors hold degrees from secondary technical schools or above by 2015.

In addition, all rural doctors are expected to be qualified as medical practitioners by 2020, under the plan.

The number of rural health workers in China reached 1.2 million by the end of 2010, marking an 18.1-percent jump in comparison with the number in 2000, according to the commission.

The plan also called for the creation of a strict training mechanism for rural doctors in order to improve their education level.