Housing funds can be withdrawn from the governmental housing reserve pool by workers who have critical diseases and need to pay for medical treatment, according to measures launched in some cities of Guangdong, Qinghai and Hunan, People's Daily reported.

The fund should play a heavier role in helping people in emergencies and difficulties, said Xiao Ning, the director of the Housing Accumulation Fund Management Center in Qingyuan, Guangdong. But some experts point out that the measure is not applicable to the whole country.