The number of registered nurses in China has been increasing at an average annual rate of about eight percent in recent years, the National Health Commission said on Monday.

As the society is aging rapidly, the commission has also been boosting elderly nursing care by using online platforms and promoting home-based care for seniors, the commission said on this year's International Nurses Day, which is observed on May 12 every year.

READ MORE: China deepens medical reform through 'health-first strategy'

"Nurses now also provide elderly care, chronic disease management, rehabilitation guidance and palliative care (in communities)," it said. "Currently, over 4,000 medical institutions across the nation offer more than 60 types of door-to-door nursing services of seven different categories."

ALSO READ: Elderly patients to get improved clinical care

The commission added that more than 85 percent of medical institutions now provide continuity of care, which involves offering online nursing consultations, follow-up care and home-based nursing guidance to address needs for routine care and specialized nursing after patients leave the hospital.