Community-based fever clinics providing yeoman service

As the number of COVID infection surged since late December, Shanghai has opened almost 2,600 community-based fever clinics to tackle the swelling demand for medical treatment.

In suburban Songjiang District, fever clinics have been set up and expanded in community healthcare centers, their sub-centers in neighborhoods, medical service stations in towns and medical rooms in villages to ensure the patients' surging demand for treatment and medication, as well as to reduce the burden on big city hospitals.

"Now we can provide one-stop service from registration to prescription to those suffering high fever," said Ma Qianyun, a doctor at the fever clinic of Yueyang Community Healthcare Center.

The clinic that stands alone from the diagnosis and treatment area was originally a simple medical room for pre-examination, temperature measurement and closed-loop transfer to designated COVID-19 hospitals earlier. These days, Ma has seen a wave of infections, and most are elderly people with mild symptoms.

"It's hard for them to understand medical details, so I need to repeat and explain over and over again," she said.

Ma treats about 100 fever patients daily, and the number continues to multiply. She keeps talking all day, and drinks water only three times while on duty.

"Because it's risky if I take off my protective mask," she said.

The Fangsong Community Healthcare Center is stressed out too as fever patients keep flooding in.

"I run back and forth countless times between the outpatient service and the pharmacy every day," said Xie Yunqi, who helps get medicine for mobility-impaired patients.

The main symptoms, she observes, are high fever and running nose, with patients of all age groups.

She once jumped the queue for an 80-year-old with a high fever of 39.5 degrees Celsius in urgent need of medicine.

"I thanked those in the line who showed their understanding and let me go first. If we took these emergencies into account in advance and established a better preparedness and management plan, the efficiency and patient satisfaction would be greatly improved," she said.

The Songjiang Health Commission said that every member of the medical staff is encouraged to support the clinical frontline, and in this special period, it will continue to optimize the hierarchical treatment system to improve medical efficiency, and reserve more medical and health resources for patients with urgent needs, such as the elderly, pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions.