BEIJING, Oct. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- Bernadette Chirac, wife of French President Jacques Chirac, visited the Beijing Friendship Hospital on Sunday.

    Accompanied by Qian Wei, wife of China's Ambassador to France Zhao Jinjun, and officials with the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau and the hospital, Mrs. Chirac visited the newly-opened outpatient service building and department of traditional Chinese medicine and had a brief talk with the medical staff.

    She said she was interested in all the hospitals in the world and cared about China's medical care level.

    After listening to the introduction by hospital president Liu Jian, Mrs. Chirac said she was impressed by the modern facilities and beautiful environment of the hospital and expressed her wish to the development of medical service in Beijing.

    Established in 1952, Beijing Friendship Hospital was the first hospital set up in the national capital by the central government.Its original name was Beijing Soviet Union Red Cross Hospital and was renamed Beijing Friendship Hospital in 1970 by the late Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai.

    The new outpatient service building was opened on September 28,which is the most advanced of its kind in Beijing with a helicopter parking apron on the top and a reception capacity of 5,000 per day.

    Mrs. Chirac is accompanying her husband on a state visit to China. Enditem