By Fineline Cube 
China’s National Health Commission (NHC) issued a notification mandating the comprehensive promotion of labor pain management services. The directive requires that by the end of 2025, all Class 3 medical institutions providing obstetric services must offer labor analgesia. By 2027, this mandate extends to all Class 2 and above medical institutions providing such services.
Implementation Measures
The NHC’s initiative emphasizes strengthening the construction of basic facilities for labor analgesia, enhancing equipment and drug to configure, and intensifying professional training for technical personnel. A collaborative mechanism between obstetrics and anesthesiology departments will be established to streamline service delivery.
Integrated Services and Incentives
The notification encourages the inclusion of prenatal pain assessment in routine prenatal checkups. It also promotes the integration of online and offline platforms for pain assessment, implementation, and follow-up services. Public hospitals are advised to prioritize professional personnel involved in childbirth analgesia in their performance evaluations.-Fineline Info & Tech