Doctors make house calls to check in on elderly

Wang Zhuying, an 85-year-old resident who lives alone in Caijia village in Qingdao, Shandong province, received a gift from his family doctor before Spring Festival — a health kit containing fever-reducing drugs, a thermometer and sanitation items. His "door-to-door doctor" Zhao Guangliang often visits him to monitor his health.

Similar gifts and services were offered elsewhere across Qingdao. In Nancun town of Pingdu city, administered by Qingdao, medical kits from the town's door-to-door doctors included fever-reducing drugs, COVID-19 antigen reagents, protective masks and a thermometer. Those families with elderly members and young kids received the kits first.

The healthcare service in Qingdao is targeting elderly residents, especially those living alone or unable to take care of themselves. Volunteer doctors are organized to visit them regularly to assess their health and provide advice.

Zhao looks after more than 70 elderly residents in his community, some of whom are still recovering from COVID-19 infections. His daily job includes checking oxygen saturation, blood pressure and blood sugar, and explaining various matters needing attention.

"We particularly care about the elderly during Spring Festival," Zhao said. "In addition to reminding them to take medicines in a scientific way, I also do some popular science projects to help them establish a correct concept of health."

The authorities in Tongji subdistrict have launched integrated services for local residents aged 80 and above, combining medical treatment and daily care, and have so far organized more than 600 free clinic treatment campaigns. In Pingdu, more than 1,700 rural pandemic prevention volunteer teams visited about 30,600 households during Spring Festival, giving out 45,000 medical kits and offering 46,000 consultations.

The "shared medicine boxes", a creative approach by the volunteers of Pingdu's Xinhe town, played an important role during the recent Omicron-fueled outbreak. Many local households with extra fever-reducing drugs, antiviral drugs, antigenic reagents and masks donated their supplies, which were then given to those in urgent need.

Other volunteers on the teams provide services such as psychological counseling, deliveries and even haircuts.

Wang Qingjian, deputy director of Pingdu's publicity department, said the local authority is determined to build "service centers at the residents' doors", to guarantee the health of local people, especially the vulnerable. "Volunteer services will be like dandelions, scattered and becoming rooted in the soil of our rural areas to blossom," Wang said.