BEIJING -- China's National Health Commission has released a circular to enhance the management of midwife service, highlighting the role of publicly-funded healthcare institutions in fulfilling people's basic need for midwife service.

According to the circular, county-level areas with a population more than 300,000 should have at least two publicly-funded healthcare institutions capable of providing midwife service, while those with a population less than 300,000 should have at least one such institution.