In 1949, there were only 85 medical and health institutions in Ningbo, 15 of which were hospitals. Hospital beds totaled 556 (of which 200 were in city proper), averaging 0.21 bed for every thousand people. Medical personnel totaled 927 people, 595 of which were doctors, averaging 0.37 medical personnel for every thousand people. The medical institutions, medical facilities and medical personnel that were available mainly in downtown areas. The facilities were outdated and standards of medical care low. The situation was even worse in rural areas. Since 1949, with investment from the government, a large number of organizations specializing in medical care, epidemic prevention, maternity health and medicine inspection were set up. During the 50 years since, the State government has put in an increasingly large amount of fund in the field. In 1952, government appropriations for healthcare of Ningbo was on RMB20,000. With the development of national economy, the average annual government appropriations was RMB400,000 in the fifties (1952-1959), RMB860,000 in the sixties, RMB1,650,000 in the seventies, RMB8,720,000 in the eighties and RMB33,600,000 in the nineties until the appropriations for 1998 alone reached RMB47,568,200 (Note: above figures refer to the appropriations for healthcare expended at municipal level and for the three districts of Haishu, Jiangdong and Jiangbei ) .

Investment in healthcare from government during the last 50 years totals RMB978,000,000. In a breakdown, the amount of investment was RMB25,781,500 during the 27 years (1952-1978), RMB952,000,000 during the 20 years (1979-1998). As of 1999, the city boasts of 927 various medical organizations and 13795 hospital beds, averaging 2.56 beds for every thousand people. Professional medical personnel total 19128, averaging 3.51 persons for every thousand people. Medical personnel with title of or above physicians-in-charge totals 3966, making up 21.02% of total, among which, 83 people are senior physicians, 623 associate senior physicians and 3260 intermediate senior physicians. A fairly complete medical and healthcare service system has been basically set up to provide guarantee for public health.

Ningbo is home to 24,000 professional health technical staff, and hospitals have 14,600 beds in serve. With founding of 18 community health serving centers and 48 community health serving stations, a basic community health serving net has come into being. Blood donated gratis accounts for 108% of the clinical blood.

Main functions of health Bureau
1. On commission, we draft out the draft of the local regulations and principles concerning health administration, and bring them into enforcement after they have been discussed and passed. We focus on regulation document, scheme and strategic aim of the development in the health undertakings, technique principles and local health standards as well as the monitoring of the enforcement of all the regulations.

2. Fulfilling the management function in the trade of health abided by the law; responsible for the management and release of the information about health.

3. Using the right of administrative supervision of health according to the law : monitoring and managing the items like prevention and treatment of communicable diseases, food, vocation, environment, radiation, school health and blood donation.

4. Exercise the principle of prevention oriented, promote the overall health education; set up the regulation of serious disease prevention, organizing the comprehensive prevention of mass disease, organizing and adjusting the health technique power to handle the mass plague and emergency .

5. Fulfilling the principle of Chinese traditional medicine by our party and state, and the policy of putting Chinese and west medicine in the same priority. Responsible for the succeeding , innovation of Chinese traditional medicine and the combination and Chinese and West medicine. Search into the modernization of Chinese traditional medicine and put them into practice.

6. Guide, supervise and manage the community health service, rural health service, fundamental health care and health care for women and infant; apply the special health service for mother-and-baby. Cooperate with family planning sector to assure the technique and health care of family planning and procreation.

7. Set up the development scheme of technology and education of city medical science. Organize and guide the transmission , application promotion of the research result and research of the major medical project. Organize the continuing medical education.

8. Guide the reform management of medical & health structure. Responsible for the classification of medicine institutions.

9. Responsible for the supervision management of medical quality, establish the reasonable appraisal mechanism and system. Manage the bid and purchase of the medicine with other medical management sectors.

10. Set up the development scheme of talents engaged in health sectors and the vocational ethics for all the staffs in the medical field . Line out the principle of qualification of technique personnel, and take them into apply.

11. Perform the health economic development strategy and medium and long term development scheme. Supervise the state assets belong to health service institutions.

12. Organize and guide the multilateral and bilateral cooperation and communication between government and nongovernmental sectors in medical and health fields.

13. Responsible for the health care of the leaders from Central government and distinguished foreign guests, and the people who is regarded by city health care community as the receiver of the health care.

14. Undertake the routine work of patriotic health campaign committee, fundamental health care committee and lead group of the local disease prevention.

15. Take part in the setting , enforcement and supervision of the stipulation of the insurance reform for the medical and health care for all the employees in the city.

16. Responsible for the management of city-level public health sectors.

17. Undertaking the all the items from the city goverment.

Ningbo main hospital