Community hospitals to take on important disease prevention role

Community hospitals in China are encouraged to set up fever clinics as part of efforts to enhance grassroots medical institutions' capability to prevent infectious disease outbreaks, China's top health authority said on Monday.

Regular training will be provided to medical staff at primary care hospitals to increase their ability to detect cases of infectious diseases during regular health check-ups and other medical services and promptly report new infections to higher authorities, according to a notice released by the National Health Commission on Monday.

Family doctors will help monitor the health condition of COVID-19 patients that have been discharged from hospitals and provide psychological support, the notice said, adding protective facilities at community clinics will be also be improved. 

Last February, the commission launched a trial project aimed at upgrading infrastructure and equipment at community hospitals and boosting primary care services in 20 provincial-level regions across the country.

Currently, the capacity of primary care services in China is relatively limited, underscoring the need to strengthen provision of medical equipment, hospital beds and relevant personnel and intensify deployment of information technology, the commission said.