Concerns over fall in pre-nuptial check-ups
On Valentine's Day this year, Tianjin residents Wang Hongjian and Zhao Qian tied the knot after getting their marriage certificate by simply presenting their ID cards and household residential papers. There was a bare minimum of red tape.
A few months earlier, the procedure would have been far more complicated. The couple would have had to take compulsory pre-marital physical check-ups, something that is now only done voluntarily.
'We didn't bother to take the check-ups,' said Mr Wang, 28, the owner of a chemical products company.
'None of the six newly married couples I know went to take it.'
The decade-long practice of requiring physical examinations before granting a couple a marriage certificate ended on October 1 last year.
According to official statistics, between then and February, the rate of people in Zhejiang taking the pre-martial check-up dropped to about 2 per cent.
The dramatic drop has aroused concern among some medical professionals.
'We believe that the number of children being born with congenital Aids or hepatitis B is sure to increase,' said Yu Hailun , the director of Putuo district Woman and Child Health Clinic in Zhou-shan , Zhejiang province.
In order to ensure 'healthy babies', the Putuo health authority has set aside an annual budget of 200,000 yuan to provide the 213-yuan examination free of charge, the first scheme of its type on the mainland.Since May 9, 18 couples had accepted the offer, which includes finding out if they have inherited diseases.
With the cost of supplying Aids medicine to one patient estimated at 200,000 yuan a year, the scheme hopes to pay for itself if it stops just one baby being born with Aids.
'It's too early; we should not rush to abolish pre-marital health check-ups. The Chinese population doesn't have sufficient health awareness to voluntarily check themselves,' said Mr Yu, whose clinic performs the free tests.
Medical experts applauded the free examinations.
