Chongqing - The local communities in Chongqing have shown great efficiency in coping with the last wave of the COVID-19 pandemic since mid-December 2022.

As the medical institutions at the primary level, local community health service centers in Chongqing showed advantages in their easy access and efficient treatment to the neighboring residents. iChongqing/Bridging News reporters visited two communities to learn about their operations.

The health service center in Xiyong Street faced massive infection in a community with a large population with underlying medical conditions in mid-December 2022. It set a fever clinic in front of the door to host more patients. 

“We believe that the peak of the pandemic is passed; we made it through,” said Yu Deyong, Director of the Community Health Service Center in Xiyong Street.

Some communities prepared for the massive infection by setting rooms for fever clinics and wards before this wave of the pandemic. A health service center in Kangmei Street is an example. It also set a “Three Zones and Two Channels” system to separate the patients from medical staff to ensure their safety.

Cooperating with the surrounding communities, the health service center in Kangmei Street made doctors into several teams. They came with the community staff to provide door-to-door diagnosis and treatment for those who were not convenient to go out.

“Door-to-door service has been our strength. We will do it right away if we can give immediate treatment at the community hospital. If we can’t handle it, we call 120 and send the patient to the hospital,” said Zou Lingling, Vice Director of the Residential Committee of Yinzhuyuan Community.

On January 3, a press conference on COVID-19 prevention and control in Chongqing announced that the first wave of the infection peak had passed.

“According to statistics, the number of daily patients in fever clinics above the secondary level and fever clinics of primary medical institutions in Chongqing reached about 49,000 on December 20, 2022. There are only about 7,000 today. The highest number of patients received by fever clinics in secondary medical institutions occurred on December 16, 2022, with more than 30,000 a day, and now it has dropped to about 3,000 a day,” said Li Pan, Vice Director of Chongqing Municipal Health Commission.