Residents use unified card for services

A unified card offering access to multiple services was launched on Sunday, providing residents in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region with access to 22 major social security services, 193 tourist areas, 23 museums, 171 libraries, 64,000 hospitals and 3,909 bus routes.

The initiative was announced during a symposium in Tianjin attended by key leaders from the Communist Party of China and regional governments that also featured a project signing ceremony.

At the event, agreements were reached on cooperation projects worth billions of yuan aimed at advancing initiatives including greenhouse gas emissions reduction, the development of the Zhongguancun Medical Industry Park and new energy projects.

Alliances were also formed at the symposium among the pharmaceutical, new energy and information technology, and intelligent connected vehicle sectors.

Li Baotian, director of the Tianjin Municipal Healthcare Security Bureau, highlighted ongoing efforts to streamline medical insurance reimbursement services in Tianjin.

"Residents in the region no longer need to register with the National Healthcare Security Platform, and they can receive healthcare insurance reimbursement promptly upon receiving a diagnosis or undergoing in-hospital surgery in Tianjin," he said.

Zhao Yang, a 72-year-old retiree from Beijing who lives with her daughter in Tianjin, shared her recent experience of undergoing cardiovascular surgery at the General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University.

She spent three days in the hospital last week undergoing health checks, surgery and postoperative care, and only paid around 2,000 yuan ($276.78) after treatment thanks to the swift reimbursement settlement process, which took just 15 minutes.

At the event, 18 initiatives were approved to enhance the growth of the Xiong'an New Area in Hebei province, aiming to elevate its innovation capabilities and public service standards, Liu Guiping, vice-mayor of Tianjin, said.

Leaders from Beijing and Tianjin have pledged unwavering support for the Xiong'an New Area and praised efforts made to that end.

"Xuanwu Hospital in Xiong'an, supported by donations from Beijing, has already assisted over 50,000 patients since it opened in October," said Lin Mao, vice-mayor of Beijing. "Also, three prestigious universities from Beijing that have established campuses in Xiong'an are now operational."