Changchun project comforts patients' traveling families

Seriously ill patients who travel to other cities for medical treatment are often burdened by high medical costs, unfamiliar surroundings, and considerable food and accommodation expenses.

In Changchun, Jilin province, however, people who accompany their family members to the city for treatment nowadays can benefit from a public-welfare workstation, which provides free apartments for the families to stay, store their luggage and cook special meals for their ailing relatives.

The initiative began with a 75-square-meter apartment for patients' families in 2024, and since then, two additional apartments have gone into service near the First Bethune Hospital of Jilin University, providing a homey environment for families seeking medical treatment outside their hometown.

Behind the project is 29-year-old Lan Tingshuang, founder of the Jilin Province Yilu Public-welfare Patient Care Home Workstation.

Lan is also the executive director of the Gongzhuling civil affairs service station, responsible for coordinating social workers to provide professional services to children and the elderly.

Having started his volunteer work at the age of 14, Lan set up his own volunteer team — Yilu Volunteer Service Team at 16, which has already drawn 544 members from across the province. In 2020, he became the chairman of the Yilu Volunteer Service Center in Nanguan district of Changchun.

In 2021, Lan and his team decided to do something for people who came to Changchun for medical treatment.

"At that time, our volunteer work had already reached 47 towns in the province," he said. "Initially, we communicated with the civil affairs workers in these towns, telling them that if there were people from poor families seeking medical treatment in Changchun, they could contact us to receive partial financial assistance for apartment, medicine and food expenses during the treatment period."

Lan, however, later found that this model was not feasible due to inefficient feedback and communication. Lan and his colleagues came into contact with many families of patients and after in-depth research, they found that the families faced problems that went beyond the lack of money needed to cover medical treatments.

"For example, many rural families lack a clear understanding of the medical and rehabilitation processes. Also, when they seek treatment in a different city, they often feel isolated and overwhelmed," he said. "These families face numerous challenges, including finding temporary accommodation, managing daily routines, preparing meals, accessing medical resources, and bearing the financial burden of self-paid medications. These issues are common hurdles for families traveling from afar for medical care."

Thereafter, the team decided to abandon the simple cash assistance model and create a full-chain, one-stop public-welfare assistance service: the apartments are open for free for the long term, with no limit on the length of stay, providing a resting place for families in need of follow-up visits, surgeries and rehabilitation from different medical facilities.

In 2022, they planned to establish a support station located near the First Bethune Hospital of Jilin University.

They rented the first apartment on Yunhe Street, about 500 meters from the hospital.

The landlord initially requested 50,000 yuan ($7,380) per year for rent.

"To bargain on the price, our team members took turns to negotiate and explain our purpose," Lan said. "The landlord did not quite understand why we rented the apartment to let others live in it for free, but was eventually moved by our sincerity, and agreed to lower the rent amount to 30,000 yuan."

To protect seriously ill patients from potential exposure to chemicals found in cleaning and building materials, the team chose not to undertake any major renovations. Instead, they utilized the existing facilities to prepare the apartment for guests.

"The beds and appliances in the room were all second-hand items, carefully selected to ensure comfort and no odor," he said. "Open flames are forbidden in the apartments to ensure safety."

With every detail optimized for the health of patients, the apartment went into operation on July 1,2024.

The second apartment, which went into use on June 1 of this year, was donated by a team member for the project's use.

"When I came across information on Lan's team online, I immediately decided to join in," said Xu Yang, a team member who is pursuing a doctorate at Jilin University. "After joining, I engaged in various volunteer activities, helping the elderly and promoting environmental protection."

Every month, she donates over 100 yuan to the project and often visits the apartments to check if further improvements are needed.

Ye Shenlin and his mother from Tonghua, another city in Jilin, brought his father to Changchun on June 4 for a rectal cancer surgery at the First Bethune Hospital of Jilin University. They chose one of the workstations' apartments for temporary accommodation.

"I came across the apartment online and at first I was a bit skeptical," he said. "After contacting the workstation and having our situation verified, we were told we could stay, and I never thought it could be so good.

"As we opened the door, the warmth of a home instantly enveloped us. Bright lights filled the apartment, which was clean and tidy."

Due to his father's physical condition, he could only eat soft, easy-to-digest food like rice porridge, steamed egg custard and soft tofu. The meals purchased outside were not only expensive but also did not meet his dietary needs, Ye said. "In the apartment, I can cook just as I do at home," he said.

The stable and convenient living conditions meant that Ye and his mother no longer had to worry about food and lodging expenses and could focus on caring for their loved ones.

With the help of the volunteers, the family saved more than 4,000 yuan during the medical treatment period.

On July 1, Lan's team put a third apartment into operation.

Since the official establishment of their workstation in July 2024, Lan's team has invested more than 100,000 yuan in charitable funds for rent and other expenses, assisting in over 1,000 patient visits and helping families save more than 300,000 yuan.

Looking ahead, Lan and his team plan to develop about 25 such apartments near the hospital over the next three years. These apartments will be available to patients and their families not only from the local province but also from neighboring Heilongjiang province and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Han Junhong in Changchun contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at zhouhuiying@chinadaily.com.cn