A Richmond family doctor and a few volunteer physicians are standing by their phones ready to answer your pandemic questions.
Charles Jiang launched a medical advice hotline after receiving an “urgent notice” from the Doctors of B.C. and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. about the shortage of medical resources during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“These two regulatory bodies encourage doctors and pharmacists to provide medical services to patients via video and telephone. After talking with other licensed family doctors and employees at my clinic, we reach an agreement within a minute to do our best to meet the…need,” said Jiang.
The hotline, which is available Monday to Friday, aims to reassure patients in these times of uncertainty and ensure that people who suffer from non-COVID-19 diseases don’t take up additional medical resources at hospitals, according to Jiang.
He told the Richmond News that patients often find it "nerve-wracking" when they have to wait a long time for a doctor to answer their questions. For example, some patients suffering from the flu would "spend several hours trying to reach the 811 health line operated by the province."
“We will reassure them first after knowing their symptoms are different from those who test positive for COVID-19. Then we will send an electronic prescription to local pharmacy. Patients can drop by to pick up medicine or pharmacy staff will deliver medicine to their homes,” said Jiang, noting that some patients’ voices quaver when they finally get a chance to talk to a doctor.
Jiang's health advice hotline has an overwhelming amount of calls after going live on March 24. He and his team have been answering hundreds of phone calls from all over B.C. daily.
“A patient just had her appendix removed at a hospital, but she didn’t know how to take care of her surgical wound. Currently, she is recovering quickly after following our advice,” said Jiang.
However, there are a few callers with life-threatening chronic diseases who need to be sent to the hospital immediately. In those cases, Jiang and his team serve as a bridge to connect patients with hospitals.
“Another patient, in her early 20s, had a fever for several days. She couldn’t even talk over the phone. I called Richmond Hospital right away and helped her get treatment in time.
“We will do our best to answer everyone’s question. Meanwhile, we also welcome and encourage more volunteers to join us to support the hotline.”
The hotline is available Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m and can be reached at 1-866-598-0028. Those who are on the Medical Services Plan (MSP) can receive help and access for free.
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