URUMQI, Oct. 16 -- The government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region said Wednesday that it has appropriated about 2.5 billion yuan (350 million U.S. dollars) this year for medical assistance for its poor population.

Over 80 percent of the funds went to the most impoverished areas in southern Xinjiang. Another 300 million yuan has been allocated to purchase medical insurance for nearly 1.63 million extremely poor people in the area.

A comprehensive insurance plan that covers basic medical care, critical illness treatment and medical assistance has been applied to all the registered poor residents in Xinjiang so far, the government said.

The number of households that have fallen into poverty because of illness has dropped to 40,000, involving 149,000 people, a decrease of 22,000 households, or 87,000 people compared with the end of 2018, said Mutarif Rozi, director of the regional health committee.