6 | DISCOVER SHANXI Friday, February 7, 2020 CHINA DAILY Medical heroes step up to serve their country Doctors and nurses and two children didn’t know where from across Shanxi she would go and what she would do volunteering to help on the “business trip”. “I told my eld­ est child: ‘Mommy is going to fight fight infections in the virus. I will return after we Hubei province defeat it.’” The team was divided into two; By YUAN SHENGGAO one to treat virus­infected patients in critical condition, one to treat ordi­ On Jan 23, a day before Lunar New nary patients. They headed for Xian­ Year’s Eve, Liu Ping, a doctor in tao, Tianmen and Qianjiang after Shanxi province, went to bed at 10 arriving in Wuhan at midnight. pm. After a day in the operating thea­ Zhang Luyan, a respiratory doctor ter, she felt tired. She didn’t know her from the People’s Hospital of Yuci husband, Wang Junping, also a local District and 41 other medical staff doctor, had made a big decision. members were sent to Qianjiang. Wang, 58, told Shanxi Provincial She wrote in a WeChat message: People’s Hospital where he works, “People often don’t want their loved that he wanted to join the local med­ ones to take a risk. But this is a mis­ ical assistance team to help prevent sion given by our country. Thank and control the ongoing novel coro­ you for your concern. I feel inspired navirus outbreak in Hubei province. when seeing Hubei people warmly As head of the gastroenterology welcome us with applause.” department, Wang was not on the Zhang’s father, a retired teacher, list. But he insisted, saying: “Let me said he supported her daughter’s go. I am old. It’s a waste not to share decision. “It’s a good time to pay my decades of experience.” back the country and the people.” Wang had headed the Shanxi When the medical sub­team emergency medical rescue team to arrived in Xiantao, they found flow­ help in the outbreak of SARS in ers at the building where they would 2003 and the H7N9 bird flu, which be living. They were given by a near­ was discovered in 2013. In 2010, he by flower store to show thanks. provided treatment at 2,000 meters Pan Hongwei, general manager of underground, where about 150 min­ Wushang Xiantao Shopping Center, ers were trapped in an accident. Two doctors from Shanxi give treatment to a patient in Xiantao city in Hubei province. YUAN ZHAOHUI / FOR CHINA DAILY said: “Their spirit of sacrifice In the early morning of Jan 24, Liu despite the danger is very moving.” saw a suitcase at the door. She knew The mall sent to them 57 down this day would come, but didn’t jackets, 20 boxes of instant noodles, expect it would be so soon. She 20 boxes of water and 10 boxes of decided to make him dumplings. milk, all donated by merchants. “I didn’t get any firsthand informa­ On Jan 30, four veterans in Qian­ tion, but I think the outbreak is, in jiang rode bikes to deliver two boxes many aspects, similar to SARS,” said of face masks and a box of protective Wang at the family reunion dinner clothing to the team from Shanxi. later that day. For most of the even­ The city has banned private cars to ing, Wang talked about the epidemic. prevent and control the outbreak. “Self­protection is most important. When the city of Wuhan My experience is to wear a face mask announced a lockdown on Jan 23, it whenever you visit a patient.” was followed by most of the other By that time, Wang’s hospital had cities in Hubei. The operation of air­ received a lot of patients and he was lines, trains, buses and subways in in the expert group. Both his daugh­ the city all closed. And the number ter and son­in­law are doctors. of confirmed cases has risen. On Jan 29, following two days of Despite this, doctors and nurses training, Wang put on protective gar­ from Shanxi, as well as other places ments and walked into the suspected in China, have chosen to fight in the infection ward of Xiantao Hospital of From left: Medical staff from Shanxi arrive in Xiantao on Jan 28. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY The first patient (center) in Shanxi province is epicenter, making their contribu­ Traditional Chinese Medicine in released from Taiyuan No 4 People’s Hospital on Jan 29 after he was cured of the novel coronavirus. MA LIMING / FOR CHINA DAILY tions to local disease prevention and Xiantao city, Hubei province. control. Liu’s daughter asked whether she A second batch of 119 doctors and would go to Hubei as well, to which ed with the virus, streamed into hos­ team to Hubei. Several hours after the Together they vowed to “use their lives versity of Science and Technology in nurses from Shanxi reached Wuhan Liu said she had already applied and pitals. This caused a shortage of Health Commission of Shanxi prov­ to guard lives in Hubei” at the airport Wuhan. He signed up once he read on Feb 2. The third team is in place will go if needed. medical staff and supplies. ince released the initiative, applica­ in Taiyuan, Shanxi’s capital city. the news. “I feel honored to be and ready to go if needed, according In January, when the novel coro­ Shanxi province, in accordance tions flooded in from different cities. Hao Haihu, one of the team mem­ selected for the team. I hope to ease to the local government. navirus outbreak gained promi­ with the arrangement of the central On Jan 26, the first batch of 137 doc­ bers, from Shanxi Bethune Hospital, pain for more patients.” nence in Hubei, a massive number government, called on local medical tors and nurses from 35 local hospitals studied for three years at the Tongji His colleague, Zhang Lixin who is Li Yu and Wang Jixia contributed of patients, confirmed and suspect­ workers to join a medical assistance set off to Wuhan, capital of Hubei. Medical College of Huazhong Uni­ also in the team, said her parents to the story. Equipment Foreign affairs office advises expats suppliers to stay inside and keep hands clean providing By YUAN SHENGGAO To cope with the outbreak of pneumonia caused by the novel assistance coronavirus, the Shanxi Foreign Affairs Office recently sent a mes­ By YUAN SHENGGAO sage to foreign citizens living and traveling in the province. Producers of medical supplies in Foreigners are advised to reduce North China’s Shanxi province are A fleet of trucks carrying medical supplies leaves Taiyuan for Hubei or avoid outdoor activities, stay stepping up efforts to manufacture province. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY away from crowds, and cancel par­ urgently demanded equipment in ties, group dinners and other Central China’s Hubei province, group activities. They are suggest­ which is being severely hit by the production of surgical masks imme­ ed to keep a distance of more than outbreak of the contagious novel diately. 1 meter when talking with others. A health department worker disinfects a bus in Taiyuan, Shanxi coronavirus. Danyang owns an assembly line “After returning home, immedi­ province. SUN RONGXIANG AND ZHANG JIONG / FOR CHINA DAILY It’s a routine for companies to halt for surgery masks, which has yet to ately wash your hands with hand business during the Spring Festival be put into production. sanitizer and running water, or use holiday, which was celebrated in late In the face of emergency, the com­ hand disinfectant containing alco­ measures released by the authori­ January this year, as employees are pany completed workers training, hol. When you come back from the ties of the central government and normally off work to reunite with equipment testing and purchased hospital, take a shower and change the Shanxi provincial government. their families. boring areas, so we could reach a raw materials in just two days. The your clothes first,” the message said. After returning home, Foreigners can follow the This year, the Spring Festival rou­ high­production capacity very first batch of masks rolled off the They are required to wear masks immediately wash WeChat account of the Shanxi tine was broken as the deadly infec­ quickly,” Qin said. line on Jan 30. when going out and properly dis­ Health Commission by searching tion spread in Wuhan, capital of Responding even quicker to the “This was a race against time and pose of the used masks, avoid your hands with “jksxgw” and the official website Hubei province, and then spread to emergency was Xinhua Chemicals, we succeeded,” Yuan said. unprotected contact with wild ani­ hand sanitizer and “http://wjw.shanxi.gov.cn” to the entire country. based in Taiyuan. According to the mayor, the city mals, consume thoroughly cooked obtain the latest updates on the Short supply of items such as The company began producing now has two production lines for food and drink hot water. running water, or use virus, information of designated masks, protective clothing, goggles medical supplies on Jan 23 and masks, with a combined output of Foreigners are also advised to hand disinfectant hospitals for patients with the nov­ and disposable gloves has begun to delivered more than 30,000 masks 100,000 a day. measure their body temperatures containing alcohol.” el coronavirus, preventive meas­ make headlines in the media. in one week, according to its execu­ In another development, a lorry on a regular basis. When such ures and important notices. To deal with the situation, medi­ tives. carrying 30 metric tons of disinfec­ symptoms as fever, cough, breath­ Shanxi Foreign Affairs Office A 24­hour English service line in cal supplies companies in Shanxi, as On Jan 28, the company donated tant departed Biomono Biotech in ing difficulty or general weakness the Shanxi Provincial Foreign well as their counterparts through­ 3 million yuan ($427,800) worth of Yuncheng, Shanxi province. occur, foreigners should wear Affairs Office — 0351­4048572 — is out the country, rapidly responded medical supplies to Wuhan, includ­ The disinfectant, worth about 1.8 masks and seek medical care right health of themselves and their available. Foreigners can also con­ to demand. ing 1,000 sets of air purifiers and million yuan, will be donated to away at designated hospitals. families, foreigners are reminded tact the Health Commission of Among such companies is White 1,000 gas masks. Huanggang city for disease control. To better prevent and control to pay close attention to the rele­ Shanxi Province through 0351­ Pigeon, a labor­protective clothing Most of the items have been deliv­ “We spent five days producing the outbreak while protecting the vant information and preventive 3580527 or 0351­3076127. producer based in Taiyuan, capital ered by the Taiyuan branch of China this batch of products using the full of Shanxi province. Post Group, a State­owned company capacity of our plant,” said Wang Qin Min, chairwoman of the com­ for postal services, delivery, logistics Yan, chief technical officer of the Additional emergency service hotlines for foreigners in Shanxi province pany, told the media that “we have and finance. company. been working three shifts a day to The China Post Taiyuan branch’s “We are grateful to our employees produce masks since Jan 29”. fleet arrived in Wuhan and Huang­ for their devotion and to the local Taiyuan: 0351­5625133, 0355­2022501 Yuncheng: 0359­2660027, The company received a mandate gang — two Hubei cities severely hit government for their coordination,” 0351­5625135 Jincheng: 0356­2066565, 0359­2660121 to resume production from the local by the virus — on Jan 31. Wang said, adding that the compa­ Datong: 0352­5193114, 0356­2024065 Xinzhou: 0350­3301599, government on Jan 28. Employees In Gaoping, another city in ny is keen to make further contribu­ 0352­5193116, 0352­7933827 Shuozhou: 0349­5990166, 0350­3301611 returned to work the next day, Qin Shanxi province, its mayor Yuan tion to the country’s fight against Yangquan: 0353­2295857, 0349­4066011 Linfen: 0357­2091131, 0357­2091314 said. Jian had a meeting with executives the virus. 0353­2295899 Jinzhong: 0354­2636606, Lyuliang: 0358­8222576, “We are glad most of our employ­ of the local Danyang Rubber Plas­ Changzhi: 0355­2022501, 0354­2638290 0358­8222527 ees are from Taiyuan and its neigh­ tics on Jan 28, asking them to start Li Yali contributed to the story.

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