In response to the call to follow the example of Lei Feng, a selfless and modest role model devoted to the people, GZU’s College of Pharmacy decided to resume voluntary monthly service. On March 27th, the College initiated a volunteer service with the aim of “Supporting the Intellectual, Helping the Poor, and Offering Pharmaceutical Medicine”. Volunteers from the Pharmacy College visited people from local villages residing in on-campus residencies and introduced to them to common medications and their uses. They were then joined by doctors from Huaxi Hospital and traveled to Ji Lin Village, the off-campus residential premises, where they offered free clinical services and also taught them about medications.
After gathering background information about living and eating habits, doctors performed routine physical checkups such as running blood tests and taking temperature. They gave presentations on everyday precautions and common medications and also advised community members to do their annual checkup at the hospital. After consulting doctors about the treatment of acute symptoms such as diarrhea and high temperature, they learned a great deal about medical treatment. During the examination, two people from local villages were found to have higher blood pressure. The doctors later discovered they had eaten dinner just before the checkup, which may have contributed to their high blood pressure readings. Given this situation, the doctors present advised them to go to hospital to have their blood pressure checked on a regular basis.
Volunteers also explained safety precautions to remember when using medication. They suggested that people from local villages should check regularly whether the drugs stored in their homes have expired and warned them that expired medicine can cause harm. After inquiring about their physical condition and medication history, volunteers learned that many rural community members failed to have a physical exam each year, and they also lack basic medication knowledge and methods. Furthermore, poor eating habits and dietary conditions create sub-optimal health outcomes in these communities. After analyzing each villager respectively, doctors and volunteers shared some practices to improve individuals’ lifestyle and also urged them to seek medical treatment if they are not feeling well.
Text: Gao Ruli (News Centre of Pharmacy College)
Photography: Gao Ruli
Chief Editor: Xu Zilian
Translator: Li Xiaorong
Proofreading: Zoe Novak, Zhou Jie
