Over 70 pct Chinese find community clinics helpful: survey

BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Over 75 percent of CHINESE think community-level clinics play an important role in treating common aliments, according to a survey published in China Youth Daily Thursday.

Also, a total of 73.9 percent of the 2,001 people polled said they tend to go to community hospitals first when they need medical treatment.

"Upon most occasions, I first choose the nearby community health center. The doctors are familiar with our conditions, and give us effective treatments," Dong Jing, a resident with two daughters in Shijiazhuang, north China's Hebei Province, told the paper.

She said that in addition to routine prescriptions, the doctors also gave tips on infectious disease prevention.

A total of 67.4 percent of respondents expect improved facilities at relevant institutions, and 63.3 percent hope for better training systems for community medical workers.

Zhou Zijun, a professor with the public health school of the Peking University, suggested more incentives for and stricter Oversight of community medical workers in a bid to improve services.