BEIJING - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on early 
Saturday morning visited a community medical service center to see how the basic 
medicare for urban residents worked. 
 
 
   Chinese Premier Wen 
 Jiabao on early Saturday morning visits a community medical service center 
 to see how the basic medicare for urban residents works. 
 [Xinhua]
   | 
"It's weekend today. 
I plan to do a fieldwork research (about medicare)," said the premier at the 
beginning of a symposium attended by workers, officials and residents in a 
Beijing residential area. 
Wen's questions include how many people in the community could enjoy 
medicare, whether residents could see doctors in the community, whether doctors 
of big hospitals could help with community medical services, and the piloting of 
the medicare system for urban residents. 
The capital initiated a mechanism of basic medicare. Under the mechanism to 
promote community medical services in the city, large hospitals must support 
community health centers with facilities and manpower, and a "medical unity 
platform" for data-sharing was set up. 
Wen said that establishing medicare and community medical services, a big 
part of the country's medical reform, was an arduous task that needs 
participation of the public. 
"The medical system, medicare and purchase and sale of drugs should be 
planned as a whole," said the premier, adding different regions can have 
different paths in line with the actual conditions. 
In a medicare service center, the premier asked whether 77-year-old Ma 
Yingjie, not covered by medicare yet, wanted to joined the medicare against 
major illness. 
"Sure. My nephew can help me submit the 300 yuan premium, and the government 
will chip in another 1,100 yuan for me, with which I don't need to worry about 
seeing doctors in the future," said Ma, referring to the pilot medicare program 
for the elderly and children which is being promoted across the country this 
year. 
"We are doing it at the very beginning and must gradually improve it," said 
the premier, adding the elderly and children should enjoy special care of the 
society.