Starting Thursday, residents of Chengdu in southwestern China's Sichuan Province will be able to see a doctor without registering at a local hospital.

Sichuan News reported that registration lines will no longer be seen in Chengdu Qingyang District's No.2 People's Hospital, in a move claimed to bring real convenience to patients.

The hospital, first in the province to get rid of registration, also promises to provide service 24/7, while previously most doctors were not available on weekends.

People can telephone to make an appointment in advance or head for a doctor directly.

Also gone are the registration fees, usually ranging from around 5 yuan (64 US cents) to a few hundred depending on the level of one's doctor. The hospital says it may suffer an annual loss of 100,000 yuan (US$12,888), but that the new rules have been made to provide better service.

The news is receiving a warm welcome from local citizens, according to the report.

The long lines in front of registration windows are among the most vexing things patients must currently face in Chinese hospitals.

自周二开始，中国西南部四川省成都市的居民在当地医院将不用挂号就能看病了。四川新闻报道，在成都市庆阳区第二人民医院，将再也不会看到排除挂号的场面，称此变动的目的是想为患者带来真正的方便。做为首家在四川省废除挂号的该医院，同时承诺提供7天24小时的服务，而以前大多数医生在周末是难以寻觅的。人们可以打电话提前预约，也可以直接去找医生看病。通常按医生的医术水平所收的5元（折合64美分）至几百元的挂号费也免了，该医院称这样做每年可能会损失10万元（折合1万2千8百88美元），但所制定的新规则就是为了提供更好的服务。报道说，该消息受到了当地市民的热烈欢迎。在挂号窗口前排长队是患者目前在中国医院必须面对的最让人烦恼的事情之一。