BEIJING -- Premier Li Keqiang has urged intensified efforts and more effective measures to advance the country's medical reforms.

Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a written instruction to a video and telephone conference on medical reforms held in Beijing on May 17.

Hailing the achievements made in major tasks of medical reforms last year, including centralized medicine procurement and lower prices of anticancer drugs, Li extended sincere greetings to participants in medical reforms and medical workers.

Li called for the in-depth implementation of the Healthy China initiative, and more health promotion activities with extensive coverage.

Li urged strengthened screening tests of major diseases and improved prevention of commonly-seen chronic diseases.

He also stressed the role of basic medical insurance and called for increased reimbursement rate of serious disease insurance.

Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, also head of the State Council's health reform leading group, attended the conference.

Sun echoed Li's instruction and demanded more efforts on disease prevention.

She also stressed medical measures in poverty alleviation.