Volunteers play key role in patient care

Volunteers recruited by local Red Cross branches have played an important role in the MDR-TB Patient Aid Program.

Zhang Lili, a 35-year-old Shanxi Red Cross Society volunteer and a staff member at the Yangcheng Center for Disease Control and Prevention, has been responsible for three MDR-TB patients including Cui Kunzhu for two years.

She visits her patients at least once a week, sometime delivering nutrition packages and providing monthly transportation allowances of 500 yuan ($80) each for the patients. Providing psychological support and treatment guides to patients, however, is her main task as a volunteer.