National Health Commission

Chinese health chief Ma Xiaowei steps down after steering nation through pandemic and defending strict zero-Covid

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Ma Xiaowei, China’s health minister who handled the country’s Covid-19 response, has stepped down as he nears official retirement age, to be succeeded by his top deputy, Lei Haichao, a prominent public health expert. On Monday, the National Health Commission’s website showed deputy director Lei, 56, had been appointed Communist Party secretary of the NHC … Read more

China’s maternity services put on notice as the country faces an ‘obstetrics winter’

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“But now, births have been decreasing every year, beds have been cut back, and more and more doctors have had to change profession. But what can they do?” he wrote, jokingly suggesting they become vets. “Save obstetrics!” he pleaded on Weibo. Duan, who is director of the maternity ward at Shanghai No 1 Maternity Hospital, … Read more