China plans to have at least one general practitioner for every 5-thousand residents, but current numbers are still well short of this goal.

       近来，一种新的医疗服务职业——“全科医生”在不少社区陆续出现。他们走进众多家庭，为居民提供医疗保健服务，服务内容包括：建立健康档案，对高血压、糖尿病等慢性病人长期随访，对社区重点人群如儿童、孕产妇、老人进行保健等。同时，全科医生还在社区医疗卫生机构提供门诊服务。

       6月22日召开的国务院常务会议，为全科医生制度的建立和发展提出了目标：2012年，全国每个城市社区卫生服务机构和农村乡镇卫生院，都将有合格的全科医生；再经过几年努力，基本实现城乡每万名居民有2至3名合格的全科医生。

       由此，“全科医生”这一有点儿新鲜又有些陌生的称呼，得到社会更为广泛的关注。请看相关英文报道：

China on Wednesday vowed to equip all hospital in urban communities and rural townships with qualified general practitioners by 2012, in an effort to improve the country's medical care services at grassroots clinics.

At an executive meeting of the State Council presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao, it was decided that China will establish a system of general practitioners, according to an official statement issued after the meeting.

Known as "door-keepers" for health of residents in urban communities and rural townships, general practitioners are medical professionals who treat acute and chronic illnesses and provide preventive care and health education.

Among the country's major efforts to reform its medical care system, it will work to make general practitioners the backbone of the medical professionals team at grassroots medical services, the statement said.

—— Excerpt from China vows to improve grassroots clinics

General practitioners often work long hours and go beyond the call of duty by making house calls to immobilized patients. Beijing started recruiting GPs 10 years ago to improve the quality of care at urban medical clinics. Zhao Yunjie explains how one such doctor is an indispensable part of her community.

Dr. Gao Xiuqin works a tight schedule every day.

As a community-based general practitioner in Beijing, Gao attends to her first patient at 7.30 am.

She also helps patients with a range of disabilities, including those with impaired hearing.

—— Excerpt from General practitioners vital in health care

       这里反复出现的general practitioner就是我们说的“全科医生”，简称GP；相应地，“社区全科医生”则可如上文表达为：community-based general practitioner。

       （来源：中国网学英语频道）