Shanghai community hospitals endeavor to treat COVID-19 patients

SHANGHAI, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- It was already night. The Yinhang Community health service center in Shanghai's Yangpu District was still full of COVID-19 patients receiving infusion therapy.

The service center restarted its infusion service at the end of last year to ensure the treatment of severe COVID-19 cases and relieve the patient reception pressure on the city's higher-level medical institutions.

"Earlier, we only had 10 infusion positions, but we recently increased that to 27. On Tuesday alone, we met the infusion treatment needs of about 100 patients," said Zhang Xiaomang, the health service center's vice president.

The health center has also expanded fever clinics and provides comprehensive services. Patients can pay the registration fee, receive medical treatment, and get medicine in fever clinics, which reduces patients' time and avoids cross-infection.

As several patients need supplemental oxygen, the center has rearranged an oxygen inhalation area to meet the increasing demand.

"The gap in the infusion positions is still relatively large. If the demand continues to grow, we will open up more space and plan to add 15 to 20 seats," Zhang said.

Liu Limin, head nurse of the out-patient department of the Xietu Community health service center, said many medical workers at the center have been staying at their posts in the last few days.

"We have increased the number of medical staff and set up a rescue room to deal with severe patients. We have also set up a 'green channel' with Zhongshan Hospital, affiliated with Fudan University, so patients in need can be transferred quickly," said Liu.

In terms of medical equipment, the Xietu Community health service center has improved its service capacity by equipping it with 20 oxygen monitors and expanding the existing oxygen therapy area.

The Xinzhuang Community health service center in Minhang District has prepared various fever-reducing medicines for patients for about two weeks.

At the community health service center of Jiuting Township in Songjiang District, the center has adjusted the ward layout and increased the number of beds for COVID-19 patients, especially for the elderly.

A resident surnamed Tang took care of her 90-year-old mother at the service center. Tang's mother suffered from several underlying diseases and still had a fever and cough a week after contracting the virus.

"Compared to the higher-level hospitals, the community health center is closer to my home. It is convenient for our family to take care of the patient," Tang said.

The center has increased ECG and blood oxygen monitoring equipment, non-invasive ventilators, and other equipment for prompt treatment. It has also carried out health monitoring for people over 65 years old. They are classified according to age, underlying diseases, and vaccination status.

According to the Shanghai municipal health commission, on Tuesday alone, fever clinics in Shanghai received 43,000 visits, down 47.6 percent from the peak on Dec. 22, 2022, among which the patients the community health service centers received accounted for 56.8 percent of the total.

Shanghai's community health service centers continue to expand. From Dec. 29 to Jan. 2, they added 1,711 oxygen inhalation positions, 2,562 infusion therapy positions, and 238 fever clinics. Medicines for COVID-19, oxygen meters and tanks, and other medical materials have been preferentially distributed to those community health centers.