Local authorities in China have stepped up health services in communities across the country to provide relief to the masses amid a surge of COVID-19 infections, officials said at a press briefing on Thursday.

Services for high-risk groups

Personalized healthcare services for high-risk groups, including the elderly, are being arranged to ensure that limited medical resources are allocated to people who need them the most, said Nie Chunlei, director at the Department of Primary Health of the National Health Commission.

Nie said people aged above 65 and those with chronic or underlying diseases are being classified at the community level based on their basic health records. "We categorize these people into three risk groups – high, medium and low – and then provide tailored health guidance and services."

In rural areas, the local communities have teamed up family doctors, public service staff, local physicians and volunteers to offer guidance and consultancy to the locals and communicate their needs to the related departments in a timely manner, said Chen Jinjing, head of a community health service center in Beijing's Huairou District.

Chen said they use loud speakers to share medical guidance with the locals – a popular information-sharing approach in the area. "They are used to listening to announcements on these speakers, so we use them to share tips about what to do when they are infected," said Chen.

Zhu Lan, a physician at a community health center in Shanghai's Xuhui District, shared their response measures amid the surge in infections. She said the community offers tailored healthcare services, especially for people over 65, pregnant women and infants, and patients with underlying diseases.

"Once they report being infected, we provide guidance on medication, ways to cope with the virus and how to deal with anxiety."

A shift in community agenda

With the optimization of COVID-19 containment measures on the national level, the local communities are shifting their focus from "avoiding the spread of infections through early identification and quarantine" to "provision of tailored healthcare services and medical treatment," said Nie.

Zhu said healthcare facilities at the community level will not only cater to daily medical appointments, but also offer vaccination services and accommodate regular visits of patients with chronic diseases.

"The family doctors and community physicians have a good knowledge of the locals' medical conditions, so they can stay alert and better cater to their needs in time," said Zhu.

China has also been expanding the number of fever clinics in communities for better disease prevention and control. By the end of October, there were 19,400 fever clinics in communities across the country, accounting for 45 percent of all healthcare facilities at the community level.

About 90 percent of all healthcare facilities at the community level will have fever clinics by the end of March 2023, Nie said.