Medical reform has been high on the agenda of the Beijing municipal government to improve services over the past year. China Daily staff reporter Wang Xiaodong has talked to people in all areas of the field to explore the progress achieved and the challenges ahead./Medical groups share resources, including staff, to provide better care for patients

When she needed medical attention, Yuan Shigui once had to take an hourlong bus ride to Chaoyang Hospital, the nearest large hospital to her home, wait for an hour or more to see a doctor - who could usually only spare two or three minutes - and then wait in another long line to get her medications.

Since late last year, Yuan has found a better choice. She can walk a few minutes from her home to a clinic in Beijing's Baiziwan community, where she can consult a doctor from a top hospital for nearly half an hour.