Online hospital provides patient treatment during Spring Festival

Internet hospital services have become a major medical amenity during the weeklong Spring Festival when outpatient services are not available.

About one third of patients have visited the online service for advice on stomach upsets or intestinal ailments due to improper diet during the holiday, doctors from Renji Hospital said.

"Most people have frequent banquets during the holiday and too much rich food and improper diet can result in digestive problems," said Dr Zhu Qi, from the digestive disease department of Renji's Internet hospital.

"In addition to offering medical guidance and prescribing medicine, we also give instructions on proper diet for patients," Zhu said.

The Internet hospital service has also played an important role during the COVID-19 pandemic. A patient in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, was unable to leave their hometown during the recent outbreak in the region.

The family of the patient, who received a liver transplant in Renji Hospital five years ago, contacted doctors through the online service. Doctors consulted on her condition, prescribed the necessary anti-rejection drug and organized for it to be delivered to Hangzhou.

As one of the first batch of Internet hospitals in Shanghai, Renji started to run its online medical service in March, 2020.

So far, about 50 departments with 864 doctors are available online to follow patients' conditions, give consultations, prescribe medicine and provide instruction, hospital officials said.

In the first four days of the weeklong holiday, the Internet hospital has provided 10,468 diagnoses and advice services.