Community health services benefit residents
13/10/2006 15:26
Wendy Zhang/ Shanghai Daily news
For the
convenience of local residents, Shanghai has spent six years completing a
three-tier community health service system - community health service center,
health service station and family-beds.
At present, there are a total of 113
community health centers in local urban areas and 114 in the suburbs, with at
least one in each sub-district, village and town. Affiliated with the health
centers, there are 422 service stations, and each station has a team of
practitioners. The practitioners will also serve patients at their homes.
According to the Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau, by the end of last year,
the city had 2.47 million people above the age of 60, accounting for 18 percent
of the total population. More than 90 percent of the elderly have seen doctors
at their community health service centers.
"Establishing a health service
center near my home is very convenient, and for small diseases, I can see the
doctor without leaving my home, and for major illnesses, I can register at the
center and then go to a big hospital," said Chen Shenggen, a retiree of the
Beixinjing community of Changning District.
"Our practitioners serve at
community health service centers, stations and residents' homes every day," said
Zhao Xiaomin, director of the Beixinjing community health service center.
To
date, 33 community health service centers in 19 districts have been set up with
156 teams of practitioners. As well, nearly 330,000 residents signed agreements
with the teams, including 45.68 percent of the local senior citizens. The teams
will offer a series of services to those who have signed the agreement, such as
providing health guidance and regular check-ups.
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