XIAMEN (Fujian) • Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited a polyclinic yesterday. Not just any polyclinic, but the first set up jointly by Singapore and China, back in 2011.

At the Fujian (Xiamen)-Singapore Friendship Polyclinic, Mr Lee walked the wards, saw patients undergoing traditional Chinese medicine treatments such as cupping and acupuncture, and was briefed on the polyclinic's set-up.

The health facility was built with nearly 10 million yuan (S$2 million) raised by Singaporeans and the Xiamen municipal government, which granted 2,000 sq m of land for it.

Singapore architect Liu Thai Ker designed it for free, while the Temasek Foundation donated $650,000 for a staff training programme.

The polyclinic was set up to support China's push to improve public healthcare, which is among the government's top national priorities.

Lim Yan Liang