Residents of Taipingzhuang village, in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, are now fully covered for medical treatment from a brand new clinic, following Premier Li Keqiang’s visit last year.

Covering an area of 90 square meters, the clinic has replaced the previous one that only had space for several chairs and could only treat minor ailments. Meng Xiansen, an old village doctor in his 60s, still remembers the day Premier Li visited the remote clinic. “The Premier is quite easygoing and he asked me if I charge extra fees when selling medicines to villagers, if I charge for medical treatment, and if the government provides enough subsidies,”

Meng recalled. Meng said that the Premier asked about villagers getting the necessary medical services within the village.

This had been a problem in the past for Meng and his son.

Though the father and son have been regarded by residents as saviors over the past decades, their poorly-equipped clinic could only deal with very minor illnesses.

Sometimes, the villagers had to take a long bus journey and get treated in hospitals in the town or the city.

“You should strive to make it possible for villagers to get medical treatment in the village,” Premier Li told Meng and his son, hailing them as the defenders of good health.