The telemedicine center of Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University based in Taiyuan, capital of northern Shanxi province, has been offering an invaluable telemedicine service to medical institutions across the province -- to help patients amid the novel coronavirus epidemic period, according to local officials.

Due to the rapid spread of new virus infections and the prolongation of the Spring Festival holiday, many patients in the surrounding areas of Taiyuan could not go to the provincial capital for timely medical treatment.

Officials said that in response, the hospital's telemedicine center has organized nearly 100 medical experts in the hospital in service for telemedicine.

The center provided online medical consultations and image diagnosis services for patients in hospitals in other cities in Shanxi.