China initiates free online medical services to Curb coronavirus outbreak

BEIJING: Chinese hospitals and several private companies have initiated free online medical consultation services in an effort to handle coronavirus outbreak.

According to reports, several hospitals in east China’s Anhui Province started offering Internet-based diagnosis and treatment of patients with fever on their official WeChat accounts.

Reports further stated, “In the free online medical consultation patients can access free consultation services via video, voice or text on their cellphone and doctors can check patients’ inspection reports and offer guidance and advice online”.

According to a respiratory practitioner with the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Wang Ran, she treated more than 700 patients online days after the platform’s launch. Many provinces have also initiated such services to relive the growing pressure on hospitals and contain the spread of the virus.

China’s online platforms including Alibaba and JD.com have also taken steps to offer online services. Alibaba launched free consultation services on its online shopping platform Taobao and mobile payment app Alipay, where hundreds of professional doctors from all over the country are providing medical services.

Aart from free consultations for patients targeting the novel coronavirus, e-commerce giant JD.com also provides psychological counseling for users, especially stressed medical workers on its app. Over  2,000 doctors are offering 24-hour services on the platforms for people all around the country.

Another company WeDoctor, which provides online access to licensed doctors, said doctors received more than 100,000 consultations on the platform.