A pilot program to provide 24-hour medical services through some of the city's residential clinics will start on July 1.

Beijing's medical reform plan, released on Saturday, said several residential clinics in eight of Beijing's urban districts will take part in the program. The city has 16 urban districts.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) will also be made available at some of these clinics.

The draft of the plan was first released in April and has received more than 700 suggestions from residents, resulting in 16 revisions.

"With a 33.7 billion yuan fiscal input from the government, we hope the plan will have a good result," said Shi Shuying, an official from the Beijing finance bureau.

The plan calls for the clinics to provide 24-hour services. Doctors will work until 8 pm on weekdays and are expected to be available on their mobile phones the rest of the time.

Patients requiring medical help at night or on weekends will call a special number, and if warranted, will be passed on to a doctor.

The doctor will then make a preliminary diagnosis over the phone and depending on the severity of the case, either recommend simple treatment or treatment at a public hospital.

"During working hours, all departments, including the laboratory, at the clinics will be available for patients," said Han Xiaofang, director of the Beijing medical reform office.

"We believe that people will get medical help more quickly in the future."

Han also said about 20 public hospitals in the city, of out about 330, are now providing services during weekends and holidays. This number will be gradually increased.

Despite the new working hours in residential clinics, the government will give special support to TCM. More than 100 level 2 and level 3 hospitals in Beijing will build TCM clinics and dispensaries by the end of this year.

"Traditional Chinese medicine and treatment are welcomed by most local residents," said Fang Laiying, director of Beijing health bureau.

One of the city's more famous Chinese traditional hospitals, Guang'anmen Hospital, is used by more than 7,000 patients everyday. Some of the hospital's top doctors are so popular their appointment books are filled beyond the end of this year.

Fang said physicians from some TCM hospitals are now working with scientists from China Academy of Chinese Medical Science to develop more herbal medicated plasters.

Shang Lei, 36, a Beijing resident, said he used to use quite a few herbal medicated plasters when he was a child.

"They were cheap but really effective. I remembered that there were various plasters for different diseases sold 20 years ago, but we are now seeing less of them.

"It's good news that plasters will be back. I think my parents who used plasters for most of their lives will be excited."

Statistics from the Beijing bureau of human resources and social security show that more than 6 million people in the city have medical insurance cards.

These cards can be used in more than 1,300 hospitals and medical treatment organizations in the city.