WeDoctor Launches Global Anti-Epidemic Platform with Over 6,000 Chinese Doctors to Support Overseas Citizens

As the COVID-19 epidemic in China stabilized, the outbreak abroad continued to spread rapidly. As of 12:00 on March 14, a total of 63,119 confirmed cases had been reported in more than 130 countries and regions outside China, and the World Health Organization (WHO) had previously declared the outbreak a “pandemic.”

It is imperative to extend a helping hand to safeguard the lives and health of Chinese nationals overseas! On March 14, WeDoctor, the digital health platform that was the first in China to launch online free consultation services for epidemic prevention and control and to advance into Wuhan for rescue operations, joined forces with the International Exchange and Promotion Association of Medical and Health Care to launch the WeDoctor Global Anti-Epidemic Platform. By pooling medical resources from both domestic and international sources, the platform provides real-time assistance for COVID-19 to over 60 million Chinese citizens residing abroad.

Overseas users can access free, rapid online consultations (via text, images, voice messages, etc.) and evidence-based epidemic prevention knowledge through the WeChat official account “WeDoctor Health.” Online consultations are available without restrictions on country or frequency, helping fellow citizens in severely affected countries such as Italy, Japan, and South Korea adopt scientific protective measures and overcome the crisis together.

As a main force in China’s aerial medical rescue efforts against the epidemic and a pioneer of internet hospitals, WeDoctor has launched its Global Anti-Epidemic Platform. In its initial phase, the platform mobilized 6,129 experts from across China to participate in international relief efforts. These experts are attending physicians or above from departments such as respiratory medicine, infectious diseases, and general practice at top-tier (Grade A tertiary) hospitals in China, and they are seasoned “veterans” who served with distinction in China’s “Aerial Rescue Team” during the domestic epidemic response.

Also launched concurrently was the Chinese-English bilingual edition of the Handbook on Prevention and Treatment of Pneumonia Caused by Novel Coronavirus Infection. Published on January 29, this was the world’s first Chinese-English parallel publication dedicated to the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, providing authoritative, science-based guidance on disease prevention and control for foreigners in China and overseas Chinese nationals.

Internet hospital platforms offer advantages such as remote accessibility, professionalism, convenience, and efficiency. Particularly during the pandemic, they have been effective in screening mild cases, triaging patients, reducing the risk of cross-infection associated with in-person medical visits, and enabling scientifically guided prevention and control under the supervision of healthcare professionals. During the outbreak, China’s National Health Commission, the national authority overseeing healthcare, issued three consecutive documents mandating the leverage of “Internet + Healthcare” in epidemic response and promoting a new model of online emergency assistance across the country.

At the outset of the outbreak, WeDoctor General Internet Hospital urgently launched the “Real-Time Assistance Platform for COVID-19” on January 23, providing Chinese users with online free clinics, psychological counseling, convenient outpatient services, traditional Chinese medicine consultations, and remote consultations to comprehensively support epidemic prevention and control efforts. As of 10:00 on March 13, the platform had recorded over 125 million visits, with 48,581 doctors conducting online consultations and delivering a cumulative total of 1.612 million medical advisory services—equivalent to nearly three months’ patient volume at a large Grade A tertiary hospital.

Recently, WeDoctor Internet General Hospital also opened an air rescue channel for Wuhan, the city hardest hit by the epidemic in China. Over a period of more than ten days, it provided comprehensive services to over 50,000 local residents, including online follow-up consultations, prescription issuance covered by medical insurance, and home delivery of medications.

Over the past month, Chinese doctors have typed until their fingers ached and spoken until their voices grew hoarse. More than 1.6 million online consultation orders have now become a valuable guide for WeDoctor Internet General Hospital’s services to overseas users. It is understood that the mature capabilities in consultation, epidemic prevention and control, testing, and remote treatment, which were developed by WeDoctor Internet General Hospital during the domestic fight against the pandemic, will be progressively made available on its global anti-epidemic platform, so as to meet the medical and health needs of overseas Chinese citizens to the greatest extent possible.