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were rejected.
A doctor working in the emer-
gency ward of Wuhan Central Hos-
pital, one of the designated hospitals
with fever clinic, who declines to re-
veal her name, says there was indeed
a large number of patients with un-
derlying conditions who were facing
difficulties when seeking medical
treatment.
She says once these patients
caught a fever, they could not go to
non-designated or designated hospi-
tals which only admit patients who
are confirmed to be infected with
novel coronavirus.
“Fever clinics of non-designated
hospitals were all closed… (The au-
thorities) need to make these hos-
pitals as clean areas…where anyone
can come without protective meas-
ures,” she says. “If febrile and non-
febrile patients are treated at the
same hospital, it may cause cross
infections.”
In the face of the abrupt with-
drawal of medical care for non-coro-
navirus patients, many of them and
their families sought help from so-
cial media out of desperation.
By March 12, the hashtag #Non-
coronavirus patients asking for help
had 100,000 posts with over 120 mil-
lion views on Weibo, since its ap-
proval of opening on February 6.
Under the topic, volunteer groups
Nurses of a hospital in Baoji are testing temperature for every visitor to prevent and non-government organisations
cross infection. have joined forces in establishing
leaving desperate patients with gain access to medical assistance. chains to open up avenues for peo-
underlying conditions such as ure- In an extreme case, Liang Shutao, ple with chronic diseases. Most vol-
mia, leukemia, and Aids in a deeper a 70-year-old patient with uremia, unteer teams, cofounded by friends,
plight. committed suicide on February 10. alumni, or passionate and caring
Although the newly established No hospital offered Liang either test- strangers active in cyberspace, are
Wuhan Novel Pneumonia Preven- ing for COVID-19 or further dialysis fostered by the pandemic and have
tion and Control Headquarters is- since February 2 after he showed fe- played a vital role in saving those
sued an order to make arrangements ver symptoms when receiving dialy- whose pressing needs are unmet by
for “chronic renal failure patients, sis. The man was in great pain days authorities.
the pregnant, surgical patients and before his death and begged staff of No Red Pocket, a volunteer team
other types of special patients” on Luo Jiadun Community, Wuhan, to founded on February 12, was initial-
February 5, there were still patients arrange him a car to a hospital for di- ly dedicated to helping coronavirus
with other conditions who could not alysis several times, but all requests patients. “But we soon found there