Free medicines provide relief for people in need

To provide medicine for people in need, local governments, private institutions and individuals are coming up with new ways to "share the medicine box" and provide free medical supplies, as the number of COVID infections rises across the country.

Chang Jie, a customer service supervisor at Xingfuli property management in Haikou, Hainan province, manages a shared medicine box in his community to help residents get urgently needed medical supplies.

The shared medicine box was launched to encourage people to donate surplus medical supplies for neighbors in need and get essential medical goods in exchange, and it worked.

Last Friday, within 10 minutes after he received a call for an antigen testing kit, Chang delivered it.

"After the initiative was issued, many people responded and donated their medical supplies," Chang said.

"Now we can make the most out of the limited medical resources. Every request for help will be responded to quickly."

In the shared medicine box, there are cold medicines, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory drugs, Chinese medicine, antigen testing kits and thermometers.

Along with government efforts in increasing the medicine supplies and setting up more fever clinics and emergency rooms for people with severe symptoms, many individuals and institutions have launched various measures like shared medicine boxes to help people who have minor symptoms at home.

The health commission of Changjiang Li autonomous county and Changjiang medical group in Hainan have provided traditional Chinese medicine in packages to the public free of charge along with guidance from experts.

Yang Xingkuan, head of Longzhilin pharmacy in Sanya, Hainan, said via his WeChat account that anyone with fever who couldn't buy antipyretic drugs can get eight urgently needed pills for free.

The message proved popular in his community, and the pharmacy has helped more than 400 people.

"I prepared a total of 5,000 pills, and there are still more than 1,000 left," he said.

"I'm very happy to do something within my capacity for the local people."

Fujiang Kangbaijia Medicine Group has also distributed ibuprofen to people for free across its 40 stores in 13 areas of Fuzhou, Fujian province since Saturday.

"The first batch of 150,000 ibuprofen tablets was delivered by online appointment," said Wang Hui, chairman of the company.

"Each person can receive six tablets. This service is estimated to benefit about 25,000 people."

So far, pharmacy chains in Fuzhou have distributed nearly 200,000 packages of fever relief free of charge.

"The daily number of medicines distributed by our pharmacies and the duration of free distribution are not set," said Wang Yang from Haoyaoshi Pharmacy Corporation in Fujian, which gives out ibuprofen tablets in its 21 retail stores.

"We'll do what we can and continue to dispense medicines until we have zero in store. If we replenish any stock, we will put them on the market immediately and give priority to those who urgently need fever and pain relief."