Guangzhou city government announced in June that the rescue fund of the Guangzhou Red Cross Society had formally started. The start-up fund amounts to 2 million yuan (US$241,546). Anyone can apply for help when something untoward happens and they do not have the ability to pay the medical fees, for example, whether they are Guangzhou citizens or from other places.
According to Lai Guoguang, vice director of Guangzhou Public Health Bureau, the target is people injured in accidents who cannot afford the urgent rescue fees. The payment includes basic medical fees.
The rescue fund can only be transferred into the hospitals by a bank, and not directly paid to the rescued person. It is confined to basic medical fees in the first-aid period. People in the recovery period or suffering from various chronic diseases including cancer cannot get the aid.
The payment will be fixed by the Red Cross Society of Guangzhou in accordance with the real situation, but ceiling normally will be 5,000 yuan (US$603.86) per person. Individual case beyond the ceiling will be submitted to the executive council of the Red Cross Society for approval.
Is 5,000 yuan enough for emergency treatment? According to Lu Jianhua, director of the emergency department at the No.1 People’s Hospital in Guangzhou, the sum is quite reasonable, because emergency patients mainly suffer from wounds, and the fee for treatment is not too high.
A program for soliciting donations kicked off at the same time with the start-up of rescue fund, from June 20 to July 20.
The rescue fund of Guangzhou Red Cross Society has actually been in existence since 1998, but people generally did not enjoy the benefit because it did not reach the ideal sum for various reasons.
Guangzhou city government expects personages of various circles to participate in donating to the fund. Those who intend to contribute can do so in three ways:
Deposit money in the Guangzhou Red Cross Society rescue fund opened by Guangzhou Commercial Bank, whose account is 0019-328-8000788-48;
Give direct to Red Cross Society offices in Guangzhou city or other areas. The relevant phone number is: 86-020-83598564, 83598396;
Put money into donation boxes in department stores, hotels, restaurants and hospitals.
Citizens and hospitals warmly applaud the start-up of the rescue fund. According to Xu Xuehu, office director of Guangzhou No.2 People’s Hospital, the hospitals were sandwiched in between patients’ needs and the economic stability of hospitals, posing a real dilemma for doctors. The fund has greatly reduced their worry.
Patients who apply for the rescue fund must submit the following to the Guangzhou Red Cross Society:
“Form of Rescue Application”;
Identification card (duplicate);
Certificate of inability to afford treatment at the time;
For those injured in a traffic accident, the disposal plan of the traffic police and compensation materials must be submitted as well.
For person of unknown identity, or whose relatives refuse to apply for aid, the hospital can submit the application together with the certificate of unknown identity issued by public security forces.
(china.org.cn by Shan Xingmei, July 9, 2002)
