Hospitals to resume out-patient services
Everyone entering local hospitals should have their temperature taken.
Local hospitals will resume normal out-patient services on Friday, though the possible large number of patients may impose pressure on coronavirus prevention and control.
Hospitals, especially leading public hospitals, are calling for patients with chronic and non-emergency problems to postpone visits or go to grassroots facilities for medicines and treatment to avoid in-hospital infection.
Six leading hospitals are also offering online consultation via mobile phone apps and WeChat accounts.
Shanghai has 110 fever clinics, mainly in leading city and district-level hospitals, which are shouldering the major responsibility for coronavirus diagnosis and treatment.
The fever clinic at Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital.
“Each patient visiting a fever clinic will be asked if they come from Hubei Province or have contacts with people from Hubei or confirmed cases,” said Ge Zhenghong, head nurse at Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital’s infectious diseases department. “Anyone giving positive answers and having a fever will be taken to a special diagnosis room for further checks and group consultation.”
Dr Zang Guoqing, director of the hospital’s infectious diseases department, said: “The number of patients visiting fever clinics has been dropping quickly these days. We received a daily of 300 patients last week, while it dropped gradually these days. We have 70 to 80 patients every day now. All hospital officials and staff at relevant departments are working every day from early last week on coronavirus control. The hospital has established strict procedures to ensure virus control, patient management and in-hospital infection prevention.”
Dr Tao Minfang, the hospital’s vice president, said: “The large number of patients visiting hospitals after we resume normal operation on Friday will impose very big pressure on virus control and increase the demand for protective outfits and masks, which are in shortage in most hospitals. In addition to the fever clinic, we will first meet the demand for patients with emergency and serious conditions and cancer patients, while others with no serious condition or who just come here for medicine for chronic diseases should rather go to neighborhood health centers.
“Our storage for protective outfits and items is only up to three days. If there is a huge increase in patients, our stock for medical staff may not meet demand. The government said such shortages can be resolved within a few days, but we must have our preplans.”
To ensure proper use of protective items such as outfits and masks, the hospital’s fever clinic and emergency department have designated one special person to register the stock and use of such items to prevent waste and strictly monitor numbers.
Doctors at the fever clinic of Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital receives a patient.
