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February 21, 2020

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Tech firms help fight against virus

Source: Xinhua | 00:57 UTC+8 February 21, 2020 | Print Edition

THE novel coronavirus epidemic may have temporarily affected economic activities across China. However, many tech companies and Internet firms are doing their part in the fight against the epidemic and contributing to the country’s economic growth.

Some tech companies are using their newest medical products and services to battle the virus, and many Internet firms have seen strong business growth during the period.

To aid the fight against the virus, leading software developer Neusoft developed a new type of remote CT equipment in just seven days.

“The equipment can quickly diagnose the virus using artificial intelligence computing and reduce contact between medical workers and patients,” said Liu Jiren, Neusoft’s chairman.

Over the past few years, Neusoft has worked to empower the healthcare industry with information technology.

“The epidemic has made us more determined in our business strategy and we will develop and manufacture more medical equipment deeply integrated with Internet technology,” Liu said.

Robots are also joining the fight to reduce cross-infection risks and improve efficiency.

Siasun, a leading robot manufacturer, has rolled out medical delivery robots and electric adjustable beds.

With advanced technologies, such as laser positioning, intelligent navigation and human-computer interaction, medical-delivery robots can help health workers spray disinfectants and distribute medicine to patients. The adjustable beds enable infected patients to eat in bed and help them sit up and roll over.

Siasun is also developing a robot that can replace nurses conducting viral throat tests.

Siasun president Qu Daokui said apart from maintaining a leading position in industrial robots, the company will develop new products for gerontology and general healthcare to nurture new business growth drivers.

Meanwhile, cloud-related services, from remote medical consultation to cloud working, have also seen rapid growth during the epidemic.

Remote medical-consultation services are bustling, because they can help prevent cross-infections and ease pressure on hospitals.

After Anhui Province launched its top public-health emergency response last month, more than 10 major hospitals in Hefei, the provincial capital, have introduced free online medical-consultation services for patients with fevers.

Online doctor consultation

Internet medical platforms have also reported surges in online services.

WeDoctor, which provides online access to licensed doctors, said doctors received more than 100,000 consultations via the platform on the first day of the lunar year.

Patients all across China can access free medical consultation services on the platform as long as the epidemic continues.

Cloud technology also helps facilitate post-holiday work resumption.

DingTalk, Alibaba’s communication app, has served 200 million workers from over 10 million companies and organizations as of February 3.

To meet the huge demand in peak hours, DingTalk has added more than 20,000 temporary servers and expanded bandwidth to enhance its calculation capacity.

The epidemic has brought challenges as well as opportunities for corporate innovation, said Daniel Zhang, chairman and chief executive officer of tech giant Alibaba Group.

“We are fully confident in the digitalization process of the Chinese economy and society and ready to lay a more solid foundation for Alibaba’s long-term growth,” Zhang said. “Facing the epidemic, an increasing number of consumers are getting used to the digital life-and-work styles.”

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