BEIJING, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The State Council, China's cabinet, on Wednesday stressed measures to support new industries and patterns to boost new types of consumption and foster economic recovery.

It also specified measures to speed up the innovative development of medical education, ensuring that workers do their best to protect people's health, according to a statement issued after a State Council executive meeting, chaired by Premier Li Keqiang.

Calling consumption a crucial pillar for economic growth, the statement said the sector, hit hard by the COVID-19 epidemic, has become a weak link in the country's economic recovery. However, new types of consumption, supported by new industries and patterns, registered robust growth and had great potential.

Efforts should be made to develop new-type consumption on a larger scale and of higher quality and innovate contactless consumption patterns. Efforts should also go into promoting the development of open online courses as well as online diagnosis and treatment, and a combination of online and offline services in sectors such as fitness and tourism, according to the statement.

The country vowed to accelerate the development of infrastructure to boost new-type consumption. It urged efforts to prioritize the coverage of 5G networks and the Internet of Things in core business districts, industrial parks and transportation hubs, and promote the commercial use of consumption-related data in a safe and orderly manner.

The government will unveil supportive tax policies that foster new industries and patterns for new-type consumption and encourage financial institutions to lower mobile payment costs.

It will also push forward reforms to streamline administration and delegate powers, improve regulation, and upgrade services while simplifying license processing procedures.

Efforts should also be made to allow traditional consumption to play a key role while enhancing the driving forces of new-type consumption.

The meeting pointed out that the number and structure of the country's medical and nursing personnel are yet to meet the needs of building a healthy China as the epidemic exposed the shortage of professionals in public health, critical care, and nursing sectors.

The State Council demanded efforts to strengthen reform and innovation in medical training.

The country will optimize the training structure of medical staff to speed up fostering general practitioners capable of disease prevention and treatment.

More central fiscal support will be extended to the education of medical undergraduates for township hospitals in the country's central and western regions, while enrollment of postgraduates in anesthesia, infection, critical illness and pediatrics will be expanded, according to the statement.

It also detailed multiple measures to enhance the quality of medical staff training.