China's First Internet Hospital Public Welfare Fund Established to Advance Healthcare Philanthropy
On the afternoon of May 11, at the Medical Industry Sub-forum of the “2019 International Forum on Leadership in Medical Science and Technology Innovation” held in Chengdu, the industry’s first public welfare fund for internet hospitals was announced. The fund was initiated by Medlinker and hosted by the China Primary Health Care Foundation. At the event, Hu Ningning, Vice Chairman of the China Primary Health Care Foundation, and Wang Shirui, Founder and CEO of Medlinker, jointly unveiled the plaque to mark the establishment of the fund.
Wang Shirui, Founder and CEO of Medlinker, and Vice Chairman Hu Ningning jointly unveiled the plaque for the establishment of the fund.
Vice Chairman Hu Ningning delivered an address, stating that the fund would be dedicated to supporting development in the following four areas: exploring and establishing operational norms and standards for the internet hospital industry, setting industry benchmarks, and promoting the growth of the sector; exploring and facilitating public welfare initiatives that align internet hospitals with national policies; supporting multidisciplinary academic discussions and clinical medical projects to provide timely academic support for the implementation of standardized medical diagnosis and treatment practices, while also fostering talent development in internet hospitals; and supporting the advancement of online diagnosis and treatment, education and training, medical science popularization, patient care, and medical humanities, thereby promoting the standardized development of multi-site practice for physicians in internet hospitals.
At the appointment ceremony for the establishment of the fund, Liu Xin, Director of the Program Department at the China Primary Health Care Foundation, presented letters of appointment to the members of the Management Committee. Wang Shirui was appointed as Chairman of the Internet Public Welfare Fund Management Committee; Li Yue, Vice President of Medlinker, was appointed as Secretary-General of the Management Committee; Liu Chunmei, Vice President of Medlinker, was appointed as Deputy Secretary-General of the Management Committee; and Cheng Jin, Vice President of Medlinker, was appointed as Director of the Management Committee Office.
The Internet Hospital Public Welfare Fund carries out medical public welfare projects in six key areas: research on the models, approaches, norms, and standards of Internet hospital services under the public welfare fund; projects to enhance specialized diagnosis and treatment capabilities and efficiency in Internet hospitals under standardized clinical practice; pilot applications and broader promotion of “Internet Hospital + Precision Health Poverty Alleviation” initiatives; exploration and application of new technologies in the realms of modern medical humanities, patient–physician care, and privacy protection; research on the models, approaches, and norms for online health education and free clinic services provided by physicians practicing at multiple sites via Internet hospitals; and exploratory research on the integration of Internet hospitals into the coordinated reform of healthcare delivery, pharmaceuticals, and medical insurance (“the Three Medical Linkages”).
In December 2018, the official website of the National Health Commission released the “Notice on Issuing the Implementation Plan for the Three-Year Campaign to Alleviate Poverty through Health,” which proposed launching pilot projects for “Internet + Health Poverty Alleviation” applications and gradually expanding their scope. These initiatives aim to provide impoverished populations with comprehensive, full-cycle health services, including health education, disease prevention, chronic disease management, tiered diagnosis and treatment, and rehabilitation guidance. Cheng Jin believes that the establishment of the Internet Hospital Public Welfare Fund holds profound significance in responding to and implementing the “Notice on Issuing the Implementation Plan for the Three-Year Campaign to Alleviate Poverty through Health” and the “Guiding Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Promoting the Development of ‘Internet + Medical Health.’” He also expressed hope that the public welfare fund would contribute modestly to promoting the sustainable and healthy development of “Internet + Healthcare.”
About the China Primary Health Care Foundation
In the late 1970s, the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed the strategic goal of “Health for All by the Year 2000,” emphasizing that primary health care is the fundamental approach and key to achieving this objective. Primary health care is defined as essential health services that should be accessible to all, reflect social equity, and be affordable for both individuals and the government. To assist the Chinese government in realizing this goal, the China Primary Health Care Foundation was initiated by the Central Committee of the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party. Under the professional supervision of the former Ministry of Health, it was officially established on December 30, 1996, with approval from the State Council and the Ministry of Civil Affairs. As a national public fundraising foundation with independent legal person status and a 4A rating, its mission is to fund and develop primary health care initiatives at the grassroots level, particularly in impoverished rural areas.
About Medlinker
Medlinker is China’s leading internet hospital. Established in 2014, it currently brings together nearly 600,000 real-name verified physicians and over 30,000 contracted doctors across the country. Starting as a physician platform, Medlinker connects the upstream and downstream segments of the healthcare industry chain. Relying on physical medical institutions in multiple provinces, including Ningxia and Shandong, it is among the first batch of internet hospitals in China to obtain formal licenses. Its mission is to create a mobile studio for every physician, enabling them to conduct consultations, issue prescriptions, and manage patient follow-ups anytime and anywhere, thereby making healthcare more focused, efficient, and convenient. To date, Medlinker has issued more than 300,000 electronic prescriptions in fields such as hepatology, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, orthopedics, and hypertension.