On the afternoon of February 3, a team of 5 medicals from Weifang Wei’en Hospital and Clinical Hospital of Weifang Nursing Vocational College, Shandong, led by Professor Wei Chunhua, chief physician, respiratory expert, arrived at Wuhan Hanyang Hospital at 2 p.m.

On January 31, Professor Wei Chunhua immediately selected members from two teams of asthma and respiratory doctors of two hospitals in Weifang and formed a pioneer team when he received the urgent notice from Chinese Non-government Medical Institutions Association to organize a medical team to support Wuhan. Wei said, they were determined to carry forward the "spirit of Zhong Nanshan", devote themselves to the battle without gunpowder, go to Wuhan where the situation was the most severe, to protect people’s life safety, to help the people of Wuhan and the staff of Wuhan Hanyang Hospital through the difficulties.

“The rise and fall of the country is everyone’s responsibility,” Wei said, “we are all soldiers once in doctors’ overalls no matter where we come from. I have more than 30 years’ clinical experience in treating severe respiratory diseases. This is where it comes in handy. We are joined by Dr. Qiu Bin, the attending physician of traditional Chinese medicine in the field of respiration. I hope we can give full play to the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment”.

As a student of respiratory and critical care of Academician Zhong Nanshan, Wei Chunhua, once participated in and presided over 6 breathing-related projects of Academician Zhong Nanshan’s research group, developed 13 core Chinese traditional medicine formulas to treat asthma and has rich experience in rescuing virus pneumonia patients. She said that in the treatment of COVID-19 cases, she would consult her counterparts from Beijing, Shanghai and overseas, and strive to help the medical staff in Hanyang Hospital as soon as possible.

It is reported that on February 3 Wuhan Hanyang Hospital was listed as one of the fifth batch of designated hospital to rescue the suspected and confirmed pneumonia cases infected with COVID-19 in Wuhan, with 200 beds. Before that, fever outpatient visits and infusion exceeded 300 times on average per day, and the workload of CT in radiology department increased from more than 100 times a day to more than 400 times a day. The number of logistics support personnel had been reduced from more than 180 to more than 30. More than 310 doctors and more than 350 nurses in Hanyang Hospital overcame many difficulties, such as shortage of medical staff, high intensity and pressure in the clinical front line, shortage of protective substances and large emotional fluctuations of patients’ family members. Among them, 130 party members have stood up and volunteered to work in the front line.

By February 3, the number of medical staff dispatched by other member hospitals of Chinese Non-government Medical Institutions Association and supported by other subordinate hospitals of Herun Medical Group has reached 76. On that day also arrived medical teams from Henan Suiping Union Hospital which is subordinated to the Great Health Corporation of Zhongbo Group, Anhui Fuyang Diabetes hospital, Huangshi Mining Bureau hospital and Qianjiang Special Care Hospital. Wuhan Non-government Medical Institutions Association also organized more than 20 medical staff from Aier Ophthalmology, Aige Ophthalmology, Meinian Physical Examination Center and other hospitals to come to Hanyang Hospital promptly. The arrival of the medical aid personnels, led by Professor Wei Chunhua, can relieve the current shortage and workload of medical staff in Hanyang Hospital to some extent. (Geng Xiang, Zhao Lin)