Guiyang, the capital city of China's southwest Guizhou province, has in recent years began incorporating internet technology into its medical sectors in order to provide patients with a better healthcare experience.
Villagers in remote areas of Guiyang are now able to consult doctors through video-chats in local clinics, eliminating the need to travel to a large city.
Luo Youfen, an 85-year-old villager in Tiankan village, Kaiyang county, previously had to travel several hours to see a doctor in the county hospital, in addition to the several days it took to set up an appointment.
"I can’t believe I am able to see a doctor without leaving my village. It's as if doctors have actually moved into our neighborhood," Luo said.
In 2017, Guiyang initiated a healthcare program in rural areas. The program provided better access to healthcare in 20 poverty-stricken villages through the use of internet technology.
The Guiyang Online Hospitals Service System, which is an important component in the healthcare program, currently conducts 6,000 online medical consultation sessions on a daily basis and two million sessions in total.
Xi He contributed to this story.
