BOSTON - China's reform of its healthcare system has put it on the right path, Health Minister Chen Zhu told the Harvard America-China Health Summit in Boston on Wednesday.

The plan has lowered medical expenses for Chinese patients and has made healthcare more accessible, affordable and equitable, Chen said.

As part of the plan, the government has spent at least 850 billion yuan ($133.2 billion) to improve the healthcare system between 2009 and 2011, which had lowered the cost of essential medicines by at least 30 percent.