(From left) Ms. Christine Chow, Vice-President (Administration) and Secretary; Professor Alexander Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor; Professor Daniel Lai, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences; and Professor Bian Zhaoxiang, Associate Vice-President (Chinese Medicine Development) of HKBU introduce the services provided by the University for COVID patients, their close contacts and carers

Given the recent upsurge in cases amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has established a transdisciplinary team of experts and supporting personnel to offer a free and integrated Chinese medicine prevention and treatment service, as well as emotional support resources to COVID patients, their close contacts and carers, with the aim of contributing to Hong Kong’s fight against the pandemic.

The fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has presented Hong Kong with a huge challenge and overloaded its healthcare system. In response to Hong Kong people’s urgent needs, Tencent has made a generous donation pledge of HK$10 million through the Tencent Charity Foundation to HKBU. The donation will support the HKBU School of Chinese Medicine’s efforts in the fight against the pandemic through the establishment of the “HKBU Chinese Medicine Team Against COVID-19”. The team will be responsible for related prevention and treatment work, and they will offer an online Chinese medicine consultation service to the public with the hope of helping patients and close contacts in need.

Professor Alexander Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU said, “I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Tencent Charity Foundation for taking the initiative to render support. The fifth wave of the pandemic is very challenging, and the Foundation has taken swift action to support the Chinese medicine team of HKBU with regard to the provision of timely assistance to the community, in particular offering our care to the elderly, while relieving the burden on the public healthcare system.”

HKBU's Chinese medicine team launched the "Free Online Consultation Service for COVID-19 Patients" in mid-February. It targets patients under quarantine in the community with no critical symptoms who do not require hospitalisation. Chinese medicine practitioners of HKBU will conduct consultations with patients through WhatsApp video-conferencing, prescribe medicine for them according to their clinical symptoms and body constitutions, and provide a medicine dispensing service. The consultation, medicine and delivery are free of charge.

Due to the overwhelming public demand for the service, the University has swiftly gathered together the resources needed to set up the HKBU Chinese Medicine Telemedicine Centre Against COVID-19 in two weeks' time as an integrated hub to handle appointments, consultations and drug delivery matters. A designated online platform was also constructed to facilitate public registration for the service. The online consultation service has so far served more than 8,000 patients, close contacts and carers, and it can serve up to 1,000 patients every day. Under the scheme, Chinese medicine practitioners of the HKBU Chinese medicine clinics have offered consultations to the public. HKBU is recruiting its Chinese medicine alumni to join the medical team in response to the keen demand for the service.

The public can visit the Chinese Medicine Clinic website for the appointment details as well as the consultation and medicine delivery arrangements of the Free Online Consultation Service for COVID-19 Patients.

For more details, please click here.