China is in dire need of general practitioners, said Meng Quan, deputy head of the science, technology education division with the Ministry of Education.

Meng made the remark at an academic congress on general and home medical sciences in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao and the Chinese mainland that opened in Beijing on Saturday.

In line with the minimum international standard, China needed 160,000 GPs to serve its 500 million urban residents, but actually had fewer than 4,000, said Meng.

Meng blamed inadequate awareness in the general medical sciences, funding shortages, and the absence of standardized courses for the lack of GPs.

The concepts of general practice and general medical sciences were introduced to China in the 1980s and more than 20 medical universities had established general practice faculties.

Community health services are available in 95 percent of urban districts in cities and 86 percent of suburban districts. The mainland has 3,400 community health centers.

Meng said the government would make greater efforts in practical training, increase funds and venues for standardized training.

China should have an improved community health service network in urban areas by 2010, under the 11th five-year-plan period (2006-2010), Meng said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 16, 2006)