Hong Kong youth groups ease hospital stress with free online consultation amid epidemic

HONG KONG -- Free online consultation launched by youth groups in Hong Kong has benefited more than 1,300 patients in the COVID-19 epidemic-stricken financial hub since late February.

The Hong Kong Youth Development Alliance and the Y.Elites Association have arranged for private doctors to conduct video consultations for patients through the online medical platform "iMeddy," as Hong Kong's public hospitals are overwhelmed by surging cases.

A three-day package of basic medication such as fever reducers, painkillers, and antibiotics will be prescribed according to the patient's condition, and the medication will be delivered to the patient's home by a team of volunteers from the Hong Kong Youth Development Alliance.

Currently, the free service is supported by more than 20 doctors. Some respond to inquiries from home after work, while others use their lunch hours to help patients.

Tse Yuet-fu, who has been practicing medicine for more than 40 years, is one of the doctors participating in the service using his spare time. He has conducted online consultations for about 150 patients so far, apart from his heavy routine workload.

"I don't feel tired," he said, noting that the most important thing for him is to help people in need.

The platform can handle a daily average of 300 to 400 cases, and it is seeking more doctors' help to increase the capacity to 1,000 to 2,000 per day.

In order to increase the number of community isolation facilities (CIFs), the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, with the full support of the central government, has commenced work at nine locations. Among them, the CIF in Tsing Yi has begun admitting COVID-19 patients on March 1.

The HKSAR reported 37,529 new COVID-19 cases and 150 deaths on Saturday, official data showed.