China's new rural cooperative medical system has benefited more than 95 million people since it was implemented last year, China Radio International reported Friday.

The new system is mainly used to help farmers who are impoverished by illness and to reimburse heavy treatment and hospitalization expenses.

The funds come from the central government budget, local government subsidies and farmers' tax payments.

By the end of last month, the funds amounted to three billion yuan, or 360 million US dollars.

The new system will cover all the country's rural areas by 2010.

Source: CRIENGLISH.com