TOO GOOD? A public toilet in Jinan, Shandong Province. Debates on standards of public toilets are heating up following the construction of various expensive facilities (XINHUA)

Underdeveloped Insurance

In the middle of September, an old woman in east China's Shandong Province offered to transplant one of her kidneys to her son who is suffering from uremia.

The huge operation fee of 80,000 yuan ($11,940), however, threw the whole family into desperate conditions. The media reported on the situation. But a fortnight passed and they only received 1,500 yuan ($224) from two donors.

Why did people appear so indifferent to this poor family? Some people reportedly said they were reluctant to give to charity because once they had done so, they would be targeted again and again whenever there is demand for donations. For them, to donate or not is something of a dilemma.

Ordinary people may want to lend a hand, but they are financially incapable of helping these people, because there are so many reports in the media about patients from poor families being unable to pay for medical expenses.

The problem is China's underdeveloped medical insurance system. If the social security system is developed enough to cover all, rich and poor, then no one needs to depend on donations for survival.

Qilu Evening News

Bitter Criticism

The official website of the Xindu District of Chengdu, capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province, has been praised by netizens as the "most functional and distinctive" government website. The website is applauded because there is feedback from local officials on every post and no post is removed no matter if it criticizes the local government or offers supervision advices.

Sometimes, netizens speak very rudely in expressing their dissatisfaction with the government's handling of public affairs. Although it is probably unacceptable to some officials, it is the most direct way to talk about people's problems and difficulties. As for this kind of rudeness, officials must be as tolerant as possible and, in this way, may find out what still needs to be done in their work. Actually, this is a virtue not only a small number of government websites should have, but all of them should act so.

By not removing any posts on its website, the Xindu District Government is actually telling the public it is open to supervision, because some of these posts reveal the local government's deficiencies in an open way.

Compared with some government departments, which either arbitrarily delete complaint posts on their websites on various excuses or pay little attention, the Xindu District Government is setting a good example for them.

Changjiang Daily

Unsafe Medicine

The State Food and Drug Administration issued a notification on September 18 advising patients to strictly follow usage guidelines for an over-the-counter cold medicine, Vitamin C Yinqiao tablets. The administration says components of the medicine may lead to adverse reactions such as anaphylactic shock and urticaria and suggests curtailing long-term use.

The alert from the medicine safety regulator is necessary. It guarantees customers' right to know. But the medicine is cheap and commonly used. In situations of higher prices for medicines and hospitals, it is hard for patients to find a cheap substitute for Vitamin C Yinqiao tablets.

So, only a warning and making suggestions are not enough. In addition to efforts to raise public awareness of medicine safety issues, the government must further provide similar cheap and effective medicines for patients. It is also necessary to set up a mechanism to guarantee those taking Vitamin C Yinqiao tablets who have adverse reactions are able to receive timely treatment and compensation.

Guangzhou Daily

Impractical Luxury

China's first five-star public toilet triggered heated debate once it was put into use in southwest China's Chongqing in August. On September 26, the relevant departments held a media briefing, claiming the facility has not broken national standards and was a symbol of social progress.

We must admit everyone hopes to enjoy the convenience and comfort of a five-star lavatory, but can the country's current economic development level afford this kind of luxury?

Chongqing still has many residents who are just able to make ends meet. Will this five-star toilet help to make local residents' lives more comfortable?

The toilet is something people can appreciate, and use, and as long as it is clean and usable, that's all right. Suppose every 10,000 people should share one public toilet, then Chongqing needs 2,417. But even factoring in toilets in hotels, hospitals and big shopping malls, there are only about 2,300 in Chongqing. Obviously, the city is still lacking in public toilets. How many ordinary toilets could be built if input for this excessively luxurious toilet was spared?

Luxurious toilets are significant for some officials who want to show off, but they have nothing to do with the kind of comfortable life ordinary people want.

Legal Daily