Item from July 18, 1984, in China Daily: A medical assistant from Beijing's Hepingli Hospital takes the blood pressure of a stroke victim at his home. In an effort to reduce the pressure on scarce resources, the hospital began a program last April of visiting patients at their homes. ...

The program was originally launched in Beijing in 1982. The Ministry of Public Health is encouraging other regions to follow suit.

China is planning to extend family doctor services nationwide by 2020 to ease the pressure on public hospitals, according to the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

The agency said the service will be available in 200 cities by the end of this year. More than 30 percent of the country's population will be covered by next year.

In addition, dozens of online health services are popping up across China, fueled by strong support from local governments.

A pharmacy model promoted by the US health provider MinuteClinic has been introduced in Jinchang, Gansu province, by the local health authority and AliHealth, a subsidiary of Alibaba.

The program allows doctors to prescribe drugs online that patients can buy at participating drugstores.

One research firm estimates that the online industry will be worth 15.7 billion yuan ($2.35 billion) this year, up from 5 billion yuan in 2011.

Chen Jun, a home doctor, tells a resident how to use the medicine at a community in Jingan district, Shanghai on April 28, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]