Harbin has set up a hierarchical medical system to improve medical care services for 600,000 residents, Xinhua reported.

Harbin No 1 Hospital has signed a hierarchical medical services agreement with community medical institutions to provide family doctors for the residents.

With the “1+2+3”hierarchical medical services, Harbin residents can enjoy free physical examinations and health consultations.

For the hierarchical medical services, “1” refers to primary hospitals, mainly community health service centers that provide medical care services such as disease prevention and health care; “2” means secondary hospitals that can provide comprehensive medical care services to different communities; and “3” refers to those tertiary hospitals that can provide high-level and professional medical services.

Since 2015, nine community health service centers in the Anjing Community of Harbin have formed a “medical services union” with Harbin No 1 Hospital, inviting specialists from the big hospitals to see patients there. Meanwhile, comprehensive physical examinations will also be held on a regular basis.

The “1+2+3” agreement will help critically ill patients receive medical treatment before paying treatment fees, according to Meng Qinggang, president of the Harbin No 1 Hospital. Meanwhile, patients can also enjoy free registration fees and thresholds for medical insurance fees will be canceled.

An information platform will be established to share information about physical health among the hospitals and medical care centers, according to Meng.

Wang Guizhi, a Harbin resident, said that, with the “1+2+3”hierarchical medical services, patients will no longer be worried about lower grade medical services at health care centers, since they will be supported by big hospitals. They can also enjoy medical treatment at home, she added.

Since Harbin has promoted the combination of medical care services in the city since 2014, the city now has 89 community health service centers that have built 30 combined centers together with the support of hospitals.