“THE charity medical service has saved my life,” said 68-year-old Chinese citizen Zhou Zhaodi, who is recovering from recent breast cancer surgery.

　　Zhou was admitted to Gonghui Hospital in Suzhou City, in East China’s Jiangsu Province, July 22. According to medical records, Zhou’s medical bill as of Aug. 14 was 6,160 yuan.

　　In accordance with the city’s charity medical services policy, Zhou will pay only half of this bill, said Zhen Xingbao, an official with the City Health Bureau.

　　Zhou is one of more than 600 needy patients in Suzhou who have received treatment in Gonghui Hospital, a charity hospital which became operational in May of this year.

　　Statistics indicate that, as of the end of August, more than 10,000 needy patients like Zhou had been treated in charity hospitals in Suzhou, Wuxi and Nanjing, all in Jiangsu Province.

　　Charity hospitals provide services for needy urban residents with a monthly per capita income of less than 220 yuan. Initial statistics indicate that the three cities have more than 50,000 such needy people, about 1 percent of the total urban population.

　　The circulation funds for charity hospitals have come mainly from donations and government appropriations.

　　Ren Wei, president of Wuxi Charity Hospital, said his hospital has set a goal of treating 5,000 needy patients this year, a task that will require 4 million yuan to support medical services.

　　At present, the hospital has 1.6 million yuan in donations and 2.4 million yuan allocated by the city government of Wuxi, Ren said.

　　The Gonghui Hospital in Suzhou has received more than 2.6 million yuan in donations since it opened in May. Local governments will be responsible for providing the rest of the funds.

　　Charity hospitals are designed to serve needy people, said an official with the Suzhou City Health Bureau, expressing his hope that the existing system continues to develop in order to accomplish this purpose.

　　(Xinhua)