Better community health care is what the doctor ordered

A total of 34 neighborhood health centers have established fever clinics, and 225 have set up fever surveillance consulting rooms for coronavirus monitoring.

There are 331 neighborhood health centers, 783 service stations and 1,169 village health clinics in the city, allowing residents to receive treatment and service easily, said the Shanghai Health Commission.

More than 30 percent of residents have had general physicians, or GP, a common practice in the West. Most such residents are key targets of health care like the elderly, people with chronic diseases, children, pregnant women and new mothers. 

So far 157 neighborhood health centers have pediatric services, which will cover all health centers by the year end, according to the commission.

Health services at noon and weekends in the community will be available, officials said.

Traditional Chinese medicine services will also be highlighted in the community-based service.

The Shanghai Society of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine has begun research and innovative practice to enhance combined traditional Chinese and Western medicine in the community to benefit more residents.

The society’s community medicine branch is conducting research on intelligent services to improve medical capability at the grassroots, officials said.