Medical fare hearing sees heated debate

广东各界代表热论医药费改革

Some 13 out of 35 representatives at a medical price hearing opposed the reform package last week, while another 10 said the price change should be postponed.

The provincial health department and pricing bureau arranged the hearing in Guangzhou to gather views on a medical pricing plan that would alter 349 service prices, which they said would better balance service account books.

The representatives disagreeing with the plan said the medical expenses were still too high for the public to afford after the reform. They were unhappy that although there would be a 1 percent reduction in terms of average medical fare, the hospitals would raise the prices for more frequently used items while reducing the cost of infrequently used items.

The proposal planned to cut large device service fees by 16.8 percent on average, including magnetic resonance imaging, computer tomography, X-ray knife treatment and Gamma knife treatment, while raising the prices for 127 common practices such as registration fee, nursing fee and accouchement fee.

Only 12 representatives agreed with the new prices. Lin Zhanyi, a medical worker, argued that high medical fares meant the hospitals could provide better training for doctors and nurses to improve the service.

The hearing invited the 35 representatives from all over the province, including five medical operators, five government workers, five social organization members, four experts and 15 people from other fields.

Another 60 citizen representatives attended the hearing.

The provincial health department and pricing bureau said people could continue to send their comments by phone, letters or e-mails in a week.

Details of the plan are published on the pricing bureau's Web site, http://www.gdpi.gov.cn.

GZ citizens can handle house property certificates by themselves since 7.1

7月1日起广州小业主可自办房产证 

New versions of commodity housing purchase and sale contracts have been put into use starting July 1, according to Guangzhou Bureau of Land Resources & House Administration.

Besides, all transactions of commodity houses in the city should be recorded in an online housing management system, said the authority. Real estate developers who fail to do the record before or after housing sale will lose their qualification of selling houses. The record prevents some evil-minded developers from selling the same house repeatedly.

Meanwhile, the new contracts include the clause that house owners have the option of handling house property certificates by themselves. The clause put an end to the situation that the owners had to rely on real estate developers to handle the contracts.

Airlines keep flight ticket prices low as travel boom delays

旺季出游未如期启动 航空公司低票价应对 

Airlines have adjusted group discounts on flight tickets to Guangzhou travel agencies to cope with delay of summer travel season this year, which normally comes in the beginning of July.

According to the agencies, the price list offered by airlines in mid-June showed that ticket prices for group package tours were supposed to rise by 20% on average starting July 1. The delay of travel midseason, however, forced airlines to adjust their price policies. The date of price increase has been postponed to July 10, before which group discounts reach 50% and after 70%.

Therefore, the agencies have not changed prices of group package tours until the day.

Low-price Thai tour to hit the market

低价泰国游冲击广州市场

THE price for a tour package to Thailand would hit a record new low of 1,999 yuan, partly because of free visa fee and discounted airfares.

A travel agency is offering a five-day tour to Bangkok and Phuket, a famous island in Thailand, at 1,999 yuan before July 12.

Chinese tourists to Thailand would be exempted from a visa fee between July and September, which was approximately 200 yuan per person, said Zheng Nianjun, vice general manager of an international travel agency in Guangzhou.

From July 15, the air route from Hong Kong to Phuket, which was closed in May, will be reopened and airline companies will offer a 50 percent discount.

A travel agency official said a tour package to Thailand in July would be at least 1,000 yuan cheaper than last year.

For example, a five-day tour to Phuket, including four-star hotels, would cost only 2,400 per person, 1,300 yuan cheaper than last year,??à the official said.

The price for another five-day Phuket tour package has been reduced from 4,000 yuan last year to 2,700 yuan this year.

The low-price tour packages are to attract Chinese travelers to Thailand during the summer vacation in a bid to revive the country's travel industry, which was hard hit by the tsunami last year.

Phuket's tourist bureau said there had been an 80 percent decrease in tourists visiting the island after the disaster.