Tianshannet-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Wei Yonggui, Correspondent Luo Jie) news: “Hello, Assistant Director Ji! An old man here is having a sudden headache and feeling nauseous. I contacted the chief expert of the team just now, and the expert suggested sending him promptly to a higher-level hospital.”

“Okay. I’ll call Hami Central Hospital immediately.”

As soon as she came to office on November 23, Ji Hairong received a call from Wen Juan, a family physician who was visiting the neighbourhood. Ji contacted the hospital in no time, and the old man was sent to the hospital soon after.

Photo taken on November 16, 2023 shows a resident of Donghe Sub-district, Yizhou District, Hami City comes to the community health center to sign a contract with a family doctor. (Photo by Luo Jie)

Ji Hairong works as Assistant Director of Donghe Sub-district Community Health Service Center, Yizhou District, Hami City. In 2018, Hami City began to establish the healthcare consortium to promote effective cooperation and coordination between different types of medical institutions. Donghe Sub-district Community Health Service Center and Hami Central Hospital have forged a close partnership with green channels for two-way referral.

“When people suffer from illness or feel unwell, they can ask a family doctor to come to their home for consultation. After diagnosis, the family doctor will decide whether the patient can stay at home or need to go to the community health center or another hospital for further examination and treatment. When necessary, the family doctor can reach out to the experts on the team or from member hospitals of the healthcare consortium for remote diagnosis and consultation.” Ji Hairong stated that if a patient needs to be referred to a higher-level hospital, the community health center will promptly handle the “two-way referral” procedure so the patient can receive immediate medical treatment.

In recent years, the urban and rural community health centers, township health centers, and village clinics in Xinjiang have seen significant improvements in infrastructure, talent training, services, and other aspects. As a result, people now have convenient access to healthcare services. In Hami City, the establishment of the healthcare consortium makes quality medical resources and affordable healthcare services, including inpatient services, widely accessible to people of all ethnic groups.

Photo taken on November 16, 2023 shows a chief expert from Donghe Sub-district Community Health Center in Yizhou District, Hami City treats patients. (Photo by Luo Jie)

“I need dry needling therapy when I suffer from lumbar spondylosis. In the past, I had to go to a large hospital far away. It was bothersome because I had to get there by bus, queue up to register, and wait for a long time. Now I can come to the community health service center within a five-minute walk. It’s really convenient,” said Mao Huilan, who was receiving acupuncture at Donghe Sub-district Community Health Service Center. Having suffered from lumbar spondylosis for seven or eight years, now she can receive treatment at the community health service center any time. “Acupuncture treatment here is effective and also low-priced. It costs only RMB 10 each time.”

“Patients like Mao Huilan are entitled to the national medical insurance concession for appropriate TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) skills, and those who perform acupuncture are experts from higher-level hospitals.” Ji Hairong introduced that since 2018, a healthcare consortium led by Hami Central Hospital has been established, composed of five member institutions including the Hami Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Yizhou District People’s Hospital. The consortium provides health management, diagnosis and treatment, rehabilitation care, and other services at subdistrict-level community health centers. Experts from Hami Central Hospital provide services at Donghe Sub-District Community Health Service Center on a regular basis, and residents can consult the experts according to the clinic schedule.

“We have set up an integrated chronic disease clinic which combines multiple functions such as examination, follow-up of chronic diseases, family doctor contract signing, contract fulfillment, and feedback. The functions of disease treatment and prevention are integrated through one-stop comprehensive services,” stated Ji Hairong. In order to provide higher-quality healthcare services, chief experts of the center’s cardiology, endocrinology, cardiovascular, and other departments join the family doctor team to implement classified health management for residents, pay regular follow-up visits, and provide door-to-door services for elderly individuals facing mobility challenges or those unable to perform essential self-care. The family doctor service model of “general practitioners + chief experts” makes quality medical resources readily available to households. “Our goal is to be a guardian of people’s health,” said Ji Hairong.