Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have called on various localities and health departments to step up community health work construction and provide masses of people with convenient and cheaper medical services.

The State Council convened an urban community health work conference Friday and Saturday, mapping out a comprehensive plan guiding the development of the health work with priority of improving people's health condition and providing them with convenient and cheaper medical services.

Vice Premier Wu Yi urged relevant departments to take practical and effective measures to promote community medical service by innovating medical service mechanism.

Wu stressed the importance of the rational distribution of the medical resources and urged priority be given to the grassroots medical units, so as to enhance the control and prevention of diseases across the country.

Development of health work should take full account of the people's practical problems and try best to provide people with convenient and cheaper medical services, the vice premier said.

All kinds of social forces and forms should be mobilized to the promote the development of the community medical system, with various local authorities playing major roles.

A systematic network involving medicine insurance, production and circulation of medicines, medical aid and education should be improved, she said.

Source: Xinhua