Beijing women will receive free breast and cervical cancer screening and children will get a health check-up this year.

The cancer screenings will run from April to December, but are only available to women with Beijing hukou, or permanent residence permits.

The Beijing health bureau said women aged 25-65 are eligible for the cervical cancer test, and women aged 40-60 could receive a free breast check-up.

Newborn babies will be screened for congenital diseases and children aged 6 and below will have their hearing, dental health and hemoglobin levels tested, free of charge, from June, the bureau said. They also need to have Beijing hukou.

More than 3.8 million women aged 25-65 live in the capital and 2.1 million are aged 40-60.

The bureau said the free health examinations would continue after this year.

Duan Li, a research institute employee, said she was happy with the new policy.

"I had planned to take checkups before getting married this year. It will save me nearly 1,000 yuan (US$146)," the 26-year-old said.

But those without Beijing hukou believed the policy was unfair.

Liu Ailing, a 27-year-old public relations clerk, said: "I studied in a Beijing college for four years and worked in the city for another four years."

"I paid tax and contributed to the capital's prosperity so I don't understand why I cannot receive free checkups."

It is not known how many women and children live in Beijing without a hukou.

Ma Yanming, a health bureau official, said the new policy did not cover them because it had limited financial resources.

(China Daily April 17, 2009)