China.org.cn | February 16, 2020
CCTV:
It was mentioned at the press conference that more than 200 medical teams, both national and local, have assembled in Hubei province at present, totaling more than 20,000 personnel. How do these teams carry out their work? What kind of work has been undertaken at the national level in terms of organizing medical teams to help Hubei? What results have been achieved so far? Thank you.
Wang Hesheng:
In order to effectively respond to the epidemic situation in Hubei province, especially in Wuhan city, in accordance with the arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we quickly seconded medical experts and backbone forces of national level from 29 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities across the country and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and hospitals affiliated to the National Health Commission. By organizing them into a number of echelons of different levels, we are ready to support Hubei. These medical teams rushed to Hubei in batches starting from Jan. 24. Despite their own local heavy burden of medical care, the cities and provinces have responded well and reached out their hands, dispatching their medical staff to Wuhan and other cities in Hubei province selflessly and generously. Medical personnel from all over the country have applied to support Hubei on their own initiative, carrying forward the lofty professional spirit of "respect lives, save lives, be willing to contribute with boundless love." In this battle without the smoke of gunpowder, they neither complained nor bowed before difficulties. These ordinary people are extraordinary. Here I would like to pay high tribute to the Party committees and governments of all levels, medical institutions, and medical staff who gave their support to Hubei and Wuhan, as well as the medical staff who stuck to their jobs in Wuhan and other cities in Hubei. Thank you all.
Wang Hesheng:
As of now, we have mobilized 217 medical teams to Hubei province, with a total number of more than 25,000 medics. After the teams arrived in Wuhan, they were placed under the unified deployment and arrangement of local health commissions and hospitals to participate in the treatment of patients infected with the novel coronavirus. The frontline team of the National Health Commission has organized training with regard to the treatment, management and personal protection for the medics, and also guided the teams to set up a temporary Party branch at the front line to better strengthen team coordination.
For other cities in Hubei province, we have also adopted the policy of "pairing-up support for Hubei." Provincial-level regions across the country have paired up with various cities across Hubei. They have teamed up with local medics to support the treatment of patients, which helped ease the pressure on the latter and enable them to have a reasonable shift arrangement. All those in the frontline will get some time to rest, and thus be able to work better. And we have also organized Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing Hospital, China-Japan Friendship Hospital and other affiliated hospitals of Peking University to contribute their expertise. The whole team of many experts from the major hospitals is led by the president and Party committee secretary of the hospitals. As the key leaders, they will oversee the treatment of severe cases in the designated hospitals in Hubei province. In addition, these experts are well-known specialists able to provide very professional guidance to the frontline teams. This also showcases advantages of our political system. The people in Hubei province believed that the medical teams sent by General Secretary Xi Jinping and the great support from people across China will help us to win the battle against the COVID-19.