SHENZHEN residents can now consult a doctor online before going to the hospital as the city began a consultation service on its mobile platform for medical appointments and registrations last month, Shenzhen Economic Daily reported.

    More than 1,000 doctors have registered to offer consultation services on the platform (http://sz.91160.com) and have answered questions for more than 3,000 residents, local health officials said.

    Shenzhen launched the online medical appointment and registration service in 2009, making it convenient for residents to see a doctor. Yet many users said in a recent poll that they didn’t know which department to register with and therefore medical experts should help them.

    The consultation service helps patients gain a better understanding of their illnesses and redirects them to the appropriate department. Patients must input the name of an illness and describe their symptoms to a doctor on the platform.

    The first five consultations are free. Users need to pay for the service depending on which doctors they choose, health officials said, but more than 60 percent of the registered doctors on the platform don’t charge for consultations.

    About 500 doctors charge between 2 yuan (US$0.33) and 50 yuan for a single consultation or a monthly fee of 10 to 300 yuan. Doctors are required to respond within 24 hours, and if they don’t, a patient’s money will be returned.

    Doctors who can register on the platform must be employed at a qualified medical institution in Shenzhen. They must upload their qualification certificates for medical practices and have their ID confirmed by the system before being able to conduct consultations.

    The platform also allows patients to make appointments with medical experts even when they are fully booked, which means experts might have to work overtime to see their patients, officials said.

    (Zhang Yang)