University Review
Protecting the public from COVID-19
Fighting against COVID-19 with Chinese medicine
Fighting against COVID-19 with Chinese medicine
Free online consultation service for COVID-19 patients
In response to the dramatic surge in COVID-19 cases during the fifth wave at the start of 2022, the University launched the “Free Online Consultation Service for COVID-19 Patients”, targeting patients under quarantine in the community with no critical symptoms who did not require hospitalisation.
Due to the overwhelming public demand for the service, the University set up the “HKBU Chinese Medicine Telemedicine Centre Against COVID-19” as an integrated hub to handle appointments, consultations and drug delivery matters. Our Chinese medicine practitioners conducted consultations with patients using video-conferencing tools and prescribed medicine for them according to their clinical symptoms and body constitutions. With a generous donation from Tencent through the Tencent Charity Foundation, medicine was provided and delivered to the patients for free.
At its peak, the online consultation service served up to 1,000 COVID-19 patients every day, and over 41,000 patients, close contacts and carers were served during the fifth wave. Our efforts were recognised by Mrs Carrie Lam, the then Chief Executive of the HKSAR, and Professor Sophia Chan, the then Secretary for Food and Health, who learned about the free online consultation service during their visit on 12 March 2022.
Supporting society in the Kai Tak Holding Centre
HKBU was appointed by the Social Welfare Department of the HKSAR Government as one of the operators of the Kai Tak Holding Centre. As the sole Chinese medicine provider in the Centre, the University dispatched a team of Chinese medicine practitioners to provide Chinese medicine-based treatment services to the resident elderly COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms who had been discharged from the hospitals of the Hospital Authority, and residents of elderly care homes who needed to be quarantined after assessment. Apart from the 393 beds that it operated, the University also provided a Chinese medicine prescription service for the Centre’s 393 beds run by the Haven of Hope Christian Service, offering patients more diverse treatment options.
Inclusive care for the elderly
As the elderly were the hardest hit demographic in the fifth wave of the pandemic, HKBU worked with the Hospital Authority, the Hong Kong Association of Gerontology and St James’ Settlement to offer online consultations and herbal medicine deliveries to confirmed patients, close contacts and carers of elderly homes. Under the scheme, around 100 elderly homes were served.
Enhancing people’s immunity
Since the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, HKBU has been giving out the “HKBU Chinese Medicine Immunity Enhancement Remedy” prescribed by the School of Chinese Medicine to boost the immunity of the public against viral infection. Since 2020, nearly 100,000 doses have been sent to frontline medical staff, elderly homes, day-care centres, schools and underprivileged families.
Healing the community
Emotional support and counselling service
As the elderly who have been affected by COVID-19 may be particularly vulnerable to emotional distress, a mental health support service was also launched in early March. Volunteers trained by the Social Work Practice and Mental Health Centre of HKBU’s Department of Social Work provided emotional support or counselling services over the phone to the elderly patients and carers in elderly homes to help reassure them and ease the pressure.
This service was extended to the Kai Tak Holding Centre, and trained volunteers made regular phone calls to the patients who needed emotional support or counselling services during their stay. Arts-based support in the form of music was also provided to the patients and the healthcare staff in the Centre via regular broadcasts. Classical and softer music has been known to have a calming effect, and HKBU’s Academy of Music put together a series of playlists titled “Sonic Balm”.
Nursing support in the community
Teachers and students from the Bachelor of Nursing (Hons) programme in the School of Continuing Education contributed their expertise to help relieve the pressure on frontline medical staff. While some assisted staff to administer vaccinations and collect specimens, others supported the professional nursing teams in the Kowloon Bay Choi Wing Road Community Isolation Facility as well as the Kai Tak Holding Centre, and they helped provide daily care to the resident elders. A call centre was also set up on campus to support the Hospital Authority’s hotline for infected people pending admission to isolation facilities.
Spreading hope and strength through music
Knowing that people might feel downhearted, helpless and insecure during the critical phase of the pandemic, the Academy of Music published a music video titled Great is Thy Faithfulness on its YouTube channel Live from HKBU to spread a message of optimism and hope. More than 240 musicians and singers from the HKBU Symphony Orchestra and Choirs participated in the production of this special piece of music.
