Tsering Pedron, third from left, a senior Tibetan doctor speaks with patients during her visit to a nursing home in Tibet's Ngari prefecture. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Tibet autonomous region improved the quality of its medical services last year, and more impoverished residents in the region benefited from various medical reforms, China Tibet News reported.

Basic medical insurance now covers all of the region's urban and rural residents, including severely disabled people and orphans.

Under Tibet's latest medical insurance policy, all residents covered by basic medical insurance are included in coverage for serious diseases, without paying extra fees.

With the expansion and improvement in the quality of medical aid, the annual maximum reimbursement for medical expenses rose to 140,000 yuan ($20,204) from the previous 70,000 yuan. The minimum deduction for serious disease insurance for impoverished rural residents was reduced by 50 percent, and the reimbursement proportion rose by 5 percentage points.

These medical insurance policies have helped relieve the economic burden on impoverished residents - costs arising from serious medical conditions. 

Providing better medical care has been one of the region's priorities in its battle against poverty over the past three years.