“无痛”分娩服务，将全国普及！

China plans to expand access to pain relief during labor and delivery as part of efforts to build a birth-friendly society, health authorities said on Thursday.

By the end of this year, all tertiary hospitals offering obstetric services in China will be capable of delivering epidural anesthesia during childbirth, and by 2027, all secondary hospitals will be able to provide the services, according to a notice released by the National Health Commission and the country's top traditional Chinese medicine and disease control authorities.

obstetric adj.产科的；生产的，分娩的

Efforts will be made to strengthen building infrastructure needed for administering epidural labor relief, such as setting up a dedicated procedure room that meets strict sterilization standards and ensuring constant monitoring of hospital-acquired infections.

It is also important to guarantee supplies of equipment and medications, while enhancing training of specialized personnel.

The country began piloting the expansion of childbirth anesthesia at 912 hospitals across 30 provincial-level regions in 2018.

In recent years, a growing number of regions have begun covering childbirth anesthesia fees in their medical insurance programs in an effort to relieve families' financial burden.