Deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC) and members of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) around China are busy perfecting proposals for the upcoming sessions of the NPC and CPPCC.

Just one day left before going to Beijing, 49-year-old Hua Yawei, the chief physician of Henan Cancer Hospital, still drives to a rural healthcare center, far away from his office, to offer free medical care.

Hua, a CPPCC member has gathered abundant information for his proposals, which will be presented in the upcoming CPPCC annual sessions.

"How is the new rural cooperative medical care scheme working at your healthcare center?" asked Hua.

Li Xinshe, president of Helong Healthcare Center, Kaifeng County, said, "Patients whose medical bills are below 1000 yuan will get 70 percent reimbursement, while those exceeding 1000 yuan ($160.7) will get 90 percent reimbursement."

This year, one of Hua's proposals is about solving the burdening debt problems of rural healthcare centers and hospitals.

Since China started the new rural cooperative medical care scheme, rural healthcare centers have had to borrow money to buy more equipment to meet patients' needs. But the zero-profit drug sales made them lose their main source of revenue. And with local governments not capable of subsidizing them, they are now facing serious debt issues.

"We raised funds by ourselves to buy new equipment and improve the hospitalization quality. So far we have a debt of around one million yuan ($160,700)," Li said.

When Hua went back to his office, it was almost midnight. He summarized what he saw and added it to his proposal.

"I have been to almost all the rural healthcare centers and village hospitals in Henan province. Only if we solve their problems, will we finally realize that minor illnesses can be cured in villages, and serious diseases can be cured in counties," Hua said.

Every March, the NPC and CPPCC annual sessions take place to debate key national issues. Whatever decisions are reached will affect people's lives all across the country. It's therefore essential for CPPCC members like Hua to put careful thought in the proposals they will present... to ensure that change will be brought where it is most needed.

(CNTV.cn February 27, 2013)