A medical service appointment and consultation application called Health Shanxi recently launched a free online medical consultation service in northern Shanxi province, according to local officials.

In response to the recent novel coronavirus outbreak across the country, the app has added a special column which publishes science popularization articles about the prevention of the pneumonia caused by the virus and updates of the epidemic situation in real time. 

A few noted doctors in Shanxi province -- mainly respiratory doctors from Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Cancer Hospital and Shanxi Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital -- have been offering free medical service on the app. 

App users can directly communicate with doctors through pictures and texts. 

"With the increase of the app's promotion, people's needs will definitely increase significantly and doctors participating in the free online medical service will also be in short supply," said the director of the medical service appointment and consultation app. 

He said it had already handled quite a few medical consultations since the free online medical service was launched.

In response, the app has begun recruiting doctor volunteers from hospitals across Shanxi province to meet the increasing demand.

Any doctors interested in or desiring to serve patients online can call 086-400-165-7585 between 7:00 and 24:00 for more information.