IN East China's Zhejiang Province, one of the most wealthy areas in China, new couples will soon be offered free medical checkups before marriage registration. The exams will be paid for by the government in an effort to reduce the number of birth defects and prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Zhejiang is the first province in China to take such a powerful measure to promote premarital medical checkups since the compulsory checkups were abolished in October, 2003 by the revised Regulations Governing Marriage Registration.

"Because the premarital checkup is more than individual consumption behaviour, the government should pay for them. The government is drafting a plan to provide free premarital medical checkups for new couples before marriage registration,?Ye Zhen, vice-director of Zhejiang Health Office told Xinhua News Agency last month.

The decision was made after the rate of premarital checkups dropped rapidly from 95 per cent in 2003 to 1.57 per cent in 2004 in the province.

During the same period, the number of birth defects increased from 115 among

10,0000 infants in 2003 to 135 in 2004 in the province.

The figure worried medical experts as well as the government.

"The premarital check may give suggestions and guidance for those who can't give birth to babies or need to postpone marriage because of physical or mental problems. The checkup may also prevent infant infections from inherited diseases,?said Dr Qiu Liqian of Zhejiang Province Maternity Health Care Hospital.

However, the public is not aware of the importance of the checkup. Ye said that the government will promote premarital checkups and pay the expense of basic medical check items for all new couples.

Zhejiang has about 300,000 new couples each year. At about 85 yuan (US$8.29) per couple, the government faces an annual outlay of about 25.5 million yuan

(US$3.98 million) for the plan.

The belief by officials is that if the government pays for health exams for new couples, it will save larger medical costs down the road. The measure has proven effective in improving the premarital checkup rate in some trial counties in the province.

In Putuo District of Zhoushan County, the free premarital checkup was introduced in May 2004 and by November, about 50 per cent of new couples volunteered for the exam ?the highest level in the Chinese mainland. (Star News)