Li Dan

SHENZHEN will publish a medical services guide in April for the convenience of residents, the local health authorities confirmed yesterday.

Public hospitals citywide will begin to adopt new charging criteria stipulated by the Guangdong provincial authorities April 1, according to Wang Shiyao, spokesperson of the local health bureau.

The medical services guide covered several hundred common diseases. It includes the normal treatment procedures and the criteria for discharging inpatients.

The practice will help cut medical fees and reduce disputes between patients and hospitals, the spokesman said.

The new criteria have slashed checkup fees but raised the charges for services like massage and acupuncture.