Dedicated workers keep city supplied with vital medicines
Local medical companies are among the first batch of companies to resume production in Shanghai.
These include joint venture Shanghai RAAS Blood Products Co, which never stopped working under lockdown and is resuming full production.
The company develops and manufactures human albumin, human immunoglobulin, coagulation factors, and other blood products.
Deputy General Manager Shen Jihui said some of its products, such as human immunoglobulin, can help improve immunity of patients, including COVID-19 patients, and were listed in the city's COVID-19 treatment plan two years ago.
He said 225 workers, about two-thirds of the company, rushed to the plant in the Oriental Beauty Valley industrial park in Fengxian District from all over the city before authorities imposed the staggered lockdown on March 28 and have been working under a closed loop since then.
Shen also headed to the company from his home in Xuhui District on the evening of March 27.
"Even with limited capacity and supplies, our production lines are running 24 hours a day with employees of various posts on duty, including production, facility maintenance and quality inspection," said Shen.
"There are still some difficulties in getting materials from outside Shanghai and delivering our products to hospitals around the country due to traffic limits under the pandemic control measures."
Under closed-loop management, employees need to live in the factory instead of their dormitory.
"We bought a lot of mattresses, quilts and personal hygiene products and renovated offices and meeting rooms into temporary dorms," said Shen.
"With help from the industrial park, we are able to ensure food supplies every day with balanced portions of vegetables and meats, as well as fruits, yogurt, cakes and other snacks."
They are required to wear masks during work and take nucleic acid tests and antigen tests frequently.
Separation boards have been set up on canteen desks to prevent possible cross infection.
Materials from outside are carefully disinfected before being taken into the factory.
"Fortunately, we have had no infections since the lockdown," said Shen.
The company has been organizing cultural and sporting activities online, such as chess and card games, to ease work pressure and anxiety.
It also launched 12 courses to help improve employees' vocational skills and production safety awareness, as well as emotion management.
About 154 workers have so far taken the courses.
An online party has been hosted to celebrate the birthdays of those born in April.
The lucky workers received birthday cakes and enjoyed online performances staged by their colleagues.
Some said their birthday wishes were to have a good sleep at home, or enjoy barbecues or hotpots when the pandemic ends.
Employees also volunteered to do extra work, such as cleaning roads and transporting barreled water and waste.
Li Qi, an worker in the company's equipment maintenance department, has become a barber for his colleagues.
The company also delivered food to the families of its nearly 500 employees during the lockdown.
Shen said that under pandemic control policies, only employees living in precautionary areas in Fengxian are able to go back to the factory, by chartered buses.
"More than 30 people have returned recently and joined the closed-loop production," he said.
"With more employees coming back and logistics being restored, we hope we can recover full capacity gradually."