Beijing releases annual health statistics

According to the annual statistical bulletin of 2013 released by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning, the number of medical staff is not keeping pace with demand, the Beijing Morning Post reported.

There were more than 205 million visits to the hospitals and clinics in Beijing last year - up by 10.9 percent compared to 2012. But at the end of 2013, there were 294,000 medical staff in Beijing, up only 6.3 percent compared to 2012.

The average life expectancy is 81.5 years for Beijing's registered permanent residents. The bulletin also indicated that one-fourth of patients treated in Beijing are from other provinces. Authorities are working to even out the healthcare quality across regions, so as to reduce the necessity to come to Beijing for treatment.