BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- A program to provide medical treatment to impoverished people with serious diseases in rural areas was expanded with about 649,000 cases diagnosed last year, the Health News reported.

In 546,000 cases, the patients have received inpatient treatment, the newspaper said.

The program was expanded to cover 21 kinds of serious diseases from the previous nine kinds in 2018, according to the report earlier this week.

Lung, liver and breast cancers were newly added to the program.

The program is expected to cover 25 diseases this year, and 30 by 2020, according to Jiao Yahui, a senior health official.