Elderly receive free medical kits and consultations as part of home service

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

Similar gifts and services were offered elsewhere across Qingdao. In the Pingdu area of Nancun town, medical kits from the town's door-to-door doctors included drugs to combat fever, antigenic tests, protective masks and thermometers. Families with elderly members and young children 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 sent to visit them regularly to assess their health and offer advice.

Zhao looks after more than 70 elderly residents in his community, some of whom are still recovering from COVID-19. His daily routine includes checking oxygen saturation levels, blood pressure and blood sugar, and explaining anything requiring attention.

"We take particular care of the elderly during Spring Festival," Zhao said. "In addition to reminding them to take medicines properly, I also teach them ways to maintain good health."

Tongji subdistrict authorities have launched services targeting residents age 80 and above that combine medical treatment and daily care, and so far have organized 600 free clinic campaigns. In Pingdu, about 1,700 rural pandemic prevention volunteer teams visited about 30,600 households during the festival, gifting 45,000 medical kits and giving 46,000 consultations.

This creative "shared medicine box" approach adopted by volunteers from Pingdu's Xinhe town played an important role during the recent outbreak of the Omicron variant. Many households with extra fever and antiviral drugs, antigenic kits and masks donated supplies, which were then given to those in need.

Other volunteers on the teams offer psychological counseling, make deliveries and even give 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 their health, especially of the vulnerable.

"Volunteer service will be like a dandelion, scattered and rooted in the soil of our rural areas to blossom," Wang said.