Peru has announced a new health-care plan to ensure free medical facilities for the poor in the country.

President Alan Garcia issued a decree to enact a new health-care law which seeks to ensure that free high-quality medical treatment is available to the poorest of society.

Under the new regulation announced Friday, the entire population will be able to get health benefits on the basis of three categories - contributory, semi-contributory and subsidised.

Government employees, retired people and professionals will fall under 'contributory' category, while people living in extreme poverty will be under 'subsidised' group and thereby be entitled to avail all the health-care benefits.

Under the contributory and semi-contributory groups, either the employer or the affiliate, in the case of independent workers, will be responsible for paying the required monetary contribution to the state. For those under subsidised category, the money will be paid by the government.

The government has also set a goal of lowering the poverty rate from 36.2 percent in 2008 to 30 percent in 2011.

--IANS/EFE

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