Nantong’s Tongzhou district has made more efforts to help residents with critical illness, according to the district’s bureau of agriculture and rural affairs.

The district has spent 1.05 million yuan ($152,838) to buy commercial medical insurance for 8,789 residents with accidental injuries or serious diseases.

“With this insurance, my wife paid fewer medical fees and with that my financial burden has been eased,” said Wang Jianping, a local resident who lives in the Jinxin Street.

Wang’s wife suffered from a serious disease 11 years ago, the expensive medical treatment made his family poorer.

From Jan, 2018, the district began to establish medical records for farmers with low income. With the commercial insurance, Wang’s wife only had to pay 1,000 yuan herself for six times of treatment in the hospital this year.

Last year, more than 1.2 million yuan of medical compensation was given to 333 Tongzhou residents. “The poverty alleviation and insurance program is one of the government's people-centered programs,” said Yuan Guolin, deputy director of the bureau of agriculture and rural affairs.

“We will make further efforts to urge insurance companies to provide better services,” Yuan said.