"I received timely and effective medical treatment as soon as the physical examination showed that I suffered from gastric cancer,” said Ms Wang, a 65-year-old woman in Harbin.

"It was when I was receiving the complimentary physical examination provided by the health service center in my community that I found my illness,” she added.

Ms Wang was surprised that such a small infirmary was able to help her find such a serious illness.

"The services provided by the health service centers are becoming more and more important and they help us maintain our health,” Ms Wang said.

"I have not only received physical examinations provided by the health service center in my community, but also signed contracts with family doctors there,” said Gao Yu, a 72-year-old man who has suffered from coronary heart disease for many years.

He receives medical services provided by medical experts from Harbin No 1 Hospital on a regular basis. Doctors will come to the community health service center where he lives and explain to him strategies for managing his condition.

In recent years, hospitals in Harbin have made great efforts to build online platforms for patients to make appointments with doctors. So far, many hospitals in Harbin have provided online services, such as registration, making appointments, and paying fees.

With the appointments made online, patients will no longer wait for the calling of their names when it is their turn. They only have to go to see the doctor at the appointed time.

"I made an appointment with the doctor online and pay the fees through Alipay, and then I came here at the appointed time, saving lots of time,” said a female patient named Li.

Statistics

From 2011 to 2015, the total expenditure for public health services in Harbin reached 1.5 billion yuan ($2.2 billion). About three million people in Harbin have signed contracts with community health service centers. A total of 7.92 million Harbin residents already have access to electronic health records.

Around 89.02 percent of Harbin residents know the health service centers in their communities, of which 90.02 percent are very satisfied with their services. A total of 96.34 percent of Harbin residents are willing to choose to see doctors at health service centers in their communities for an initial diagnosis.