A growing number of affluent urbanites in China are now accessing these kinds of conveniences thanks to the introduction of a new health care concept -- private doctors -- into their lives.

Private doctors offer individualized medical consultations and services ranging from health care record management and diagnosis to health care and nutrition schemes to keep you in shape.

The new concept is now reverberating through major cities and being embraced by private business people, professionals and high-salary State-run employees.

Xiao Wu, a 45-year-old businessman in Harbin, has had his own doctor for the past two years, a retired medical specialist.

The doctor provides routine health examinations for his family and talks to them about diseases and first aid.

If Xiao heads to hospital for treatment, his private doctor will accompany him. "I feel safer with a private doctor, who can keep me updated on my health and allow me to enjoy my life," Xiao said.

Xiao's sentiment was shared by an unnamed manager from the Guangzhou-based Kangyi Consultancy Centre, the first intermediary to provide private doctor services in the city.

He said many households in Guangzhou had signed up for the service, which normally cost a medium-income family over 20 yuan (US$2.41) a month.

A high-salary family can expect to pay up to 30,000 yuan (US$3,623) a year to arrange a private doctor.

Analysts said the appearance of private doctors is not simply an indicator of improving life quality among Chinese residents, but more importantly, it meets a rising public demand of immediate and better medical services.

Chinese city residents are still baffled by the time-consuming wait and complicated procedures that exist when seeing a doctor at hospital.

Worse, they are daunted by the rapidly rising cost of medical services.

(China Daily February 11, 2003)