Patients in four neighborhood health centers in Shanghai's
Pudong will find it easier to transfer to the larger Renji Hospital
if they need more complex treatment.
The hospital on Monday signed an agreement with the health
centers to streamline the patient transfer process, which used to
take two or three days. Now it should take only two or three hours
to move seriously ill patients.
The cooperation is in line with a rule issued by Shanghai Health
Bureau to better use medical resources. Neighborhood centers treat
chronic and minor illnesses while city hospitals take more complex
cases.
And since Sunday, patients pay only half the cost of
registration fees at district and city-level hospitals after being
transferred from neighborhood clinics.
Zhou Zhennan, a 93-year-old man who suffered a stroke in 2005
and again in January this year, was sent to Renji Monday morning
after developing symptoms of lung infection.
"We decided to transfer the patient to Renji soon after checking
his situation, which is far more complicated than we can handle,"
said Zhang Shengbing, an official from Huamu Neighborhood Health
Center. "Previously, the process would take two to three days
because of paperwork, while the patient was settled down in Renji
within two hours today through a 'green pathway' designed to ease
the transfer."
Under the agreement, patients at neighborhood health centers can
receive group consultations from experts in large hospitals.
Patients are transferred to Renji if the case is complicated or if
neighborhood doctors can't confirm the disease within three
days.
People with confirmed chronic diseases or who need
rehabilitation care after surgery at Renji will also be sent to
neighborhood centers for further care.
"We have special doctors to take charge of patients transferred
from the neighborhood and every department has an experienced
doctor to visit the neighborhood to give direction," said Li
Weiping, Reji's vice president.
"Doctors at neighborhood centers also receive regular training
in Renji to improve their medical capabilities, especially in new
treatments," she said.
(Shanghai Daily April 4, 2007)
