Guizhou province has made considerable preparations for rural epidemic control as many migrant workers and students are expected to return to the province during the upcoming Spring Festival, local officials said on Wednesday.

Zhang Yuqiong, deputy director of the Guizhou Provincial Health Commission, said epidemic control in rural areas has been one of the top priorities and the commission has taken various measures to ensure the safety of rural people.

All township hospitals and medical centers have opened fever clinics, which can receive up to 86,000 people every day in total, she said at a news conference.

Village hospitals have also opened fever treatment centers to treat asymptomatic and mild cases and alleviate the pressure on hospitals, she said.

Online consultations are being offered by experts to improve the medical treatment level in rural areas and experts have also conducted training for medical workers in rural areas so they can identify patients whose symptoms might become severe, she said.

The province has also made sure that more than half of its drugs go to communities and it has offered free epidemic control equipment and drugs to key groups, Zhang said.

Zhang Yuanxin, deputy director of the Guizhou Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said the province has established a special working group on rural epidemic control.

Rural areas have a large number of people who are elderly, disabled or pregnant and are in relatively frail medical conditions, he said.

The group is responsible for ensuring epidemic control measures are implemented, solving problems, coordinating resources, making sure severe patients get timely treatment, and ensuring normal production in rural areas, he added.

Wang Songlin, head of a hospital in Yunwu township of Guizhou's Guiding county, said the hospital opened a fever clinic on Dec 12, which has received more than 506 patients so far. The number of daily patients peaked at 119 on Dec 24, and has since gradually declined.