A family doctor service was made available to residents of Tianjin's developing eco-city on Friday as part of an effort to build a Singaporean-style community in the northern China port city.
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A doctor will be assigned to care for every 300 to 500 households, and each resident's health records will be monitored electronically.
The service, along with green-energy buses, apartments with energy conservation systems and a recycling centre for kitchen garbage, is part of a development plan for an eco-conscious community.
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The Tianjin Eco-City, which is to serve as a model for future Chinese cities, was jointly planned by the Chinese and Singaporean governments.
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Built on a salt-pan, deserted beach and water areas, the eco-city, covering a total of 30 square kilometres, has so far attracted more than 2,000 households to move to the area.
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"We are expecting more households to move in as more infrastructure is built," said Cui Guang'an, deputy director of the city's administration committee.
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The eco-city, which has been under construction since 2007, will also have two rail transit lines to encourage residents to use public transportation.
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Modelled after the Singaporean notion of the "neighbourhood center", the eco-city will build community centres to handle grassroots and enrichment functions such as community management, healthcare, culture and sports and business services.
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Liu Yang, 30, said he moved to the community because he was impressed by its facilities and focus on green technology.
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"The change has been rapid over the years, and you can see improvements almost on a daily basis," he said.Â
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Zhang said when he first moved to the area last year, there was only a small market.
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Now, there are already nearly 30 shops, including home textile shops, department stores, cafes, bars and a pharmacy.
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A fitness centre, a library and an ecological planning museum, which are under construction, will also give him more options when spending time with his family, he said.
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A hospital is under construction and will open by 2015.
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Seven school bus lines are currently in service, with two international schools and one kindergarten in operation and two middle schools under construction.
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Goh Chok Tong, former prime minister of Singapore, said during a recent visit that he was impressed by the rapid development of the area over the last five years.
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"The community has developed over the years like a 'teenager' grows into an 'adult'," he said.