Q&A about lockdown in Shanghai: Medical services

Q: How will emergency medical requirements be met for special cases, such as pregnant women and those receiving hemodialysis, radiotherapy and chemotherapy?

A: The Shanghai Health Commission asked all medical institutions in Shanghai to suspend their general specialist outpatient services during the phased lockdown. But their key departments and services, such as emergency services, fever clinics, hemodialysis, critical care, obstetrics, pediatrics, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and treating in-hospital patients will operate normally.

Meanwhile, designated medical institutions in each district should arrange dedicated lines to field medical inquiries.

Q: Since public transport services including taxi and bus have been suspended, can people in need dial the 120 hotline for ambulances?

A: For critically ill patients who require medical treatment, neighborhood committees in their subdistricts, towns or villages should call the 120 hotline to arrange ambulances. They should also report patients' information to designated medical institutions to give them time to prepare.

For other patients, neighborhood committees will relay their information to designated medical institutions that will arrange for special vehicles to transfer them in a "closed-loop" way.

Q: During the new round of screening, is daily medicine dispensing still guaranteed?

A: In terms of daily dispensing needs for those with chronic diseases, all primary medical institutions will enhance the family doctor system.

They will meet management requirements for long-term medication prescriptions for people with chronic diseases, while community health-care centers provide relevant services.

Q: How are nucleic acid testing arranged in lockdown areas?

A: In this round of screening, nucleic acid testing will be given in two different areas in turn. From 5am on March 28 to 5am on April 1, Pudong will be closed for four days and nucleic acid testing will be given twice with an interval of at least 24 hours.

From 3am on April 1 to 3am on April 5, Puxi will be closed for four days and nucleic acid testing will be given twice with an interval of at least 24 hours as well.

From March 28 to April 1, the quarantine measures for the key subdistricts and towns in Puxi will continue while people in the low-risk areas (that have yet to be quarantined) will receive an antigen self-test.

If you do not receive a nucleic acid test, your health code will turn yellow, which will make entering many places difficult. Those who refuse to do that and have no appropriate reasons, people obstructing pandemic prevention and control and those causing other serious consequences will be punished by law.

Register for the nucleic acid testing service on the "Health Cloud" app in advance and save a screenshot of your code. You can also use it to help the elderly and children to register. When you get tested, please show the QR code on a bright screen and have medical workers scan the code. The results can be found with the Suishenban, Health Cloud app or WeChat mini program.