In fact, the Premier has always been concerned about guaranteeing proper and convenient treatment for rural residents.

He urged more village doctors to be available at a State Council Executive Meeting in January.

The meeting made several key decisions, including that there should be at least one village doctor serving every 1,000 rural residents nationwide. It also decided that village clinics can upgrade equipment with government subsidies or through private means, and village doctors should have regular free training.

The Premier also visited a village clinic in Pudong village in Liping during his inspection tour of Guizhou province before the Spring Festival.

Discovering that the two village doctors still had to do farm work guarantee an income, the Premier promised that this year’s basic public health services funds for the grassroots will be used to subsidize the village doctors.

Meng and his son are just two of the beneficiaries. Meng said now that the medicine prices are kept stable, villagers are treated for free.

The new clinic cost 145,000 yuan ($23,000) and is already proving a good investment.

“With larger clinic and more hospital beds, we are now be able to get treated for illnesses without going outside of the village,” said Li Shixiu, a villager who met the Premier during his visit.