BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Premier Li Keqiang on Monday extended festive greetings to Chinese medical workers on the country's second Medical Workers' Day.

In an instruction, Li instructed relevant departments to push forward medical reforms, improve the payment, welfare and career prospects for medical workers, foster harmonious doctor-patient relationships and help increase respect for medical workers.

He called on medical workers to devote themselves to saving lives, improve their skills, maintain integrity and seek cures for serious diseases such as cancers.

At a meeting held Monday in Beijing to honor model medical workers, Vice Premier Sun Chunlan urged medical workers to follow Li's instruction and stay committed to protecting people's health and promoting a healthy China.

More than 700 people, including representatives of medical workers, officials and people from medical organizations, attended the meeting.

China set Aug. 19 as its Medical Workers' Day to call for respect from society for medical and health workers.