Siemens will invest a total of US$10 million over the next five years to achieve sustainable improvements in healthcare in rural areas of China.

The project is a Siemens contribution to the Clinton Global Initiative to support poorer regions in threshold countries.

An agreement on the project was signed by Siemens and the Shaanxi Bureau of Health. Zhang Huaixi, vice chairman of the Chinese People's Consultative Conference; Dr. Richard Hausmann, president and CEO of Siemens China; Dr. Siegfried Russwurm, member of the executive management of Siemens Medical Solutions; and Dr. Bernd Ohnesorge, president and CEO of Siemens China Medical Solutions, all took part in the signing ceremony held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

"All people, regardless of their status or origin, should have access to high-quality healthcare. This is an important prerequisite for a peaceful and just society. We are especially pleased when leading companies like Siemens provide their competence for such efforts," commented Zhang Huaixi.

With the help of pilot projects, a pool of valuable experience will be built up for giving people in rural regions of China better access to high-quality healthcare. In this project, Siemens will focus on developing tailored solutions to meet the specific needs of local healthcare organizations.

Siemens will initially outfit a number of pilot hospitals with diagnostic equipment, beginning with the first facility in Luochuan County in Yan'an, in the Shaanxi Province. This equipment will include ultrasound and x-ray systems as well as computed tomography imaging systems. Not far away from each rural hospital, Siemens will equip six urban health centers with x-ray and ultrasound systems. Siemens will maintain the technical infrastructure once it is in place.

The project, headed by China's Ministry of Health, is part of the Clinton Global Initiative, which brings together key figures from politics and business, as well as wealthy individuals and philanthropists, to jointly tackle challenges faced by societies.