A free medical consultation is offered in Jiaocheng district, Ningde, by Ningde People's Hospital. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Ningde's digital medical assistance program was recognized as a winning case at the Global Solicitation on Best Poverty Reduction Practices at the 2025 International Seminar on Global Poverty Reduction Partnerships, held in Beijing on Dec 10.

The case, titled "Leveraging Digital Technology to Enhance Precision Medical Assistance: A Case Study on Poverty Prevention Through Medical Aid in Ningde City, Fujian Province," was selected from among 840 entries worldwide and was the only entry from Fujian province to receive the prestigious honor.

The program highlights Ningde's efforts to relieve the financial burden on vulnerable populations and people with major illnesses.

Since its pilot launch in 2005, the city has developed a multi-layered support system that combines basic medical insurance with coverage for catastrophic illnesses and targeted aid. This is sustained by annual fiscal allocations that cover insurance premiums for eligible residents and offset out-of-pocket expenses that remain after reimbursement.

The utilization of medical aid in Ningde has increased rapidly. By 2024, the number of beneficiaries had reached 720,600, a 26.8-fold increase since 2018. Financial support has kept pace, with 171.66 million yuan ($24.61 million) disbursed in 2024. Consequently, 94.44 percent of eligible medical costs were reimbursed through the city's integrated system, with the targeted medical aid program directly contributing 20.46 percent of the funding for these expenses.

In addition, efficiency has been enhanced through the integration of cross-departmental data and the establishment of a unified medical information platform, allowing the city to clearly define and identify eligible beneficiaries with precision.