Mobile clinics to treat patients in the community
One of the vehicles which will be converted into mobile clinics for small-scale surgery and medical treatment
Four vehicles are to be converted into mobile clinics for small-scale surgery and medical treatment, Ruijin Hospital officials said at a weekend forum on burns treatment and care.
These vehicles will serve community hospitals, nursing homes and can visit patients at home. It is especially for patients requiring chronic wound treatment, such as foot ulcers and bedsores, who have to make frequent trips to hospital.
China handles about 100 million wound treatments every year, with about 30 million of them complicated. In addition, a large number of elderly people in nursing homes have bedsores.
“For the convenience of such patients, we plan to set up such mobile clinics,” said Dr Lu Shuliang, director of Ruijin Hospital’s wound treatment center. “Only a few hospitals in the city have wound treatment centers. Chronic wound care requires long-time treatment and most patients are too old or lack mobility to move around. So we developed this plan for their convenience and will cooperate with community hospitals, nursing homes and will also take calls from individuals.”
The vehicles will be fully equipped and an online network will be established to offer consultation and guidance for doctors on the spot, Lu said.
“The vehicles will be put into use in six months. If it proves successful, we will expand the service to benefit more patients,” he said.
