Contributions and challenges of general practitioners in China fighting against the novel coronavirus crisis

Li, Donald Kwok Tung; Zhu, Shanzhu

In 2016, the Chinese State Council issued guidance on the promotion of Family Medicine, with the aim of extending availability of family practice to the entire population by 2020.2 3 This has not been fully implemented but is well under way. As the health system responded to the rapid spread of the coronavirus outbreak, the efforts and professionalism of GPs has been widely acknowledged and reported in the Chinese press. The COVID-19 outbreak has refocused attention on the ‘first in last out’ role of the GPs and has reinforced the effort for widespread availability of qualified GPs across the country. Through remarkable individual and team efforts, displaying truly professional general practice, the role of family medicine in the Chinese health sector is now well recognised. GPs have demonstrated remarkable contributions to all the three stages of response as advocated by WHO. It is worth mentioning again that GPs are in the best position to care for patients with emotional distress arising from outbreaks, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, which would be as devastating as physical health problems. Patients will not feel stigmatised by seeking help from someone they trust.