Editor's Note:

The healthcare sector is a vital part of our daily lives, so it's also a key aspect of China's reforms and efforts to improve people's quality of life.

In a fresh move to revitalize healthcare services, the country has removed price controls on most medicines, starting from June 1, giving the market a larger role in setting prices.

But how do average people feel about healthcare services, which are still mainly provided by public hospitals? The Global Times spoke to three people about the topic.

Yang Zhe,

aged 25, who is currently pursuing her doctorate in Coventry, a city in England. Hailing from Nanchang, capital of East China's Jiangxi Province, she has been living in the UK for about five years.

When I was in my home city, I used to go to public hospitals rather than private ones as large public hospitals were normally considered to be more reliable and trustworthy.

A comparison between the healthcare services in China and those available in Britain shows mixed results, from my point of view.

UK residents are generally covered by the National Health Service (NHS), which provides a range of health services. The majority of the services are free, particularly benefiting those who need services such as surgery, which would otherwise cost a lot of money if not covered by the NHS.

The service is far from perfect, however. When I'm ill, I can only make an appointment first to see a general practitioner before getting access to a specialist.

China's healthcare reform is well underway, and my general view is that the reform will come to fruition if government regulators can maintain reasonable drug prices. As well as efforts to liberalize the healthcare sector, the country should sharpen the ethics code for the medical profession to provide a more congenial medical treatment atmosphere.

Anthony James,

a 34-year-old American expat, who has been living in Beijing for six years.

I don't know enough to compare health services in China with those in the US, as I'm pretty healthy and don't have to go to the hospital that often.

According to my limited understanding of China's health services, however, I would visit a public hospital for common illnesses or accidents.

But for any serious condition that required a diagnosis and multiple treatments, I would go to a private hospital, simply because at many public hospitals there are just not enough resources for personal attention.

Medical staff at public hospitals often do not even have time to conduct a thorough examination. Also, public hospitals make patients run to different departments to pay, to take tests or to get medicine - this is simply not convenient, especially for someone who is ill.

I would certainly consider traditional Chinese medicine, but not for a serious illness or disease. As for where I buy medicine, I normally get it online or go to retail drugstores.

I've never bought prescription drugs through online platforms.

But I believe China's marketplace for online prescription drugs has great potential, and media reports have said that online sales of prescription drugs will be allowed in the country in the foreseeable future.

Jiang Yan,

aged 56, a housewife who now lives in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu Province.

I have health insurance that covers part of my healthcare spending. But it doesn't cover much of it unless I'm admitted as an inpatient at a hospital.

Medical expenses, I would say, are hard to afford for many of the average people in the country. Actually, I'm now doing physical exercise on a regular basis to maintain overall fitness and to keep the doctor away.

Nonetheless, I definitely welcome any reform efforts by the government to regulate the healthcare sector and genuinely serve the interests of patients.

As for the trend toward online drug sales, I would say that I'm dubious about whether prescription drugs should be sold online. But if there is a viable oversight regime that can monitor the entire sales process in order to guarantee the quality of the prescription drugs, I might consider buying them online. Compared to off-line pharmacies, the Internet is far more convenient and often cheaper.