Premier Wen Jiabao on early Saturday morning visited a community medical service center to see how the basic medicare for urban residents worked.

"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 join 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.

(Xinhua News Agency July 23, 2007)