Profile: Li Keqiang: A man who puts people first (4)

（Xinhua）  09:46, December 24, 2012

After Li took over as head of the State Council's leading group for medical and health care reform, the country quickly set a goal of turning medical and health care into a basic public service accessible to all, taking a progressive approach to prioritizing the basic needs of the people and the need for institutional improvement.

The central government has issued 14 documents to inspire local experiments since 2009. All relevant tasks are being implemented efficiently.

Under this regimen, the government has built the world's largest medical care system in more than three years, effectively easing public concern in this area.

U.S. scholar Robert Lawrence Kuhn said he considers this reform to be the greatest achievement China has scored in the past decade.

Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, has called the achievement hard-won.

John Langenbrunner, the World Bank's chief health economist, described the results achieved by the reforms as unprecedented.

Li was also credited with seizing the opportunity presented by the 2008 financial crisis to propel complex fuel tax reforms involving multiple stakeholders.

The initiative has helped eliminate redundant fuel fees, inspired energy conservation and emission reduction, improved the refined oil pricing system and accumulated experience for future reforms.