Shift of role for medical workers living at Pudong complex
Medical staff have been working hard carrying out quarantine measures for others over the past year, but two residents of Mingtianhuacheng in Zhoupu Town, the Pudong New Area, experienced a role shift when the complex was locked down on November 20 due to confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Zhai Yingjiu is a general practitioner at Zhoupu Hospital specializing in chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
He was also one member of the fever consultation team at the hospital responsible for outpatient management during the pandemic.
He came home at around 6pm on November 20 just before the complex was locked down.
Zhai worried about his job at the hospital, which can face the biggest challenge for him during the quarantine.
He worried about the fever team, too.
But his team set up an online working group so he could keep in touch with his colleagues. The fever team also arranged cover for him.
“Some issues such as the arrangement of beds, the discharge of elderly patients and transfer of patients are discussed through the online group,” said Zhai.
At first bewildered and a tad anxious, he and his wife, also a hospital worker, gradually got used to the new life.
According to Zhai, the management of the community was well-ordered. Residents set up a special WeChat group for quarantine, and the three nucleic acid tests were very efficient.
“Our takeouts were delivered by volunteers and the resident committee to the door,” said Zhai. “It feels somewhat like a vacation, so we are very grateful for what the workers have done.”
Zhai said he utilized the spare time during quarantine to improve himself. He even finished a two-day online doctor training course which he wasn’t able to do before due to lack of time.
“What impressed me most during the past two weeks was the cooperation of social workers and residents, as the importance of health control was understood by everyone,” said Zhai. “Everybody followed rules such as wearing masks in the neighborhood and respected the workers.”
A photo taken by nurse Lin shows residents queuing up for nucleic acid test around midnight on November 20.
A nurse identified as Lin was having dinner with her 9-year-old brother on the night before quarantine. Lin has been serving at the local community to ensure safety since the beginning of the year, including sterilization and health screening at designated quarantine hotels.
Similar to Zhai, her first thought on knowing the news was that she would not be able to return to work.
Later that night, she was amazed at the nucleic acid testing at 1am, as residents lined up in an orderly manner in front of the temporary tents downstairs set up by community workers and medical staff.
During quarantine with her little brother, she suffered heart issues and was taken to the nearby Zhoupu Hospital for observation.
“I was kind of off the rails,” Lin said. “I guess I was too absorbed in game playing and watching reality shows, which I didn’t have time to splurge on before.”
She received in-time help from the residential committee and the police after she called up the emergency hotline 120. After she was taken to hospital, her brother was attended to by the residential committee and volunteers. In fact, he spent several nights with the famous Didi driver and volunteer Peng Hui, who was trapped inside the complex after dropping off a passenger right before quarantine.
Lin’s mother came to the complex to take care of the young brother from Zhejiang Province days after Lin was hospitalized.
“My mom also self-quarantined and took acid tests three times before coming to Shanghai,” said Lin.
Throughout the whole process, she said she was touched by the efficiency of service and warmth of strangers under quarantine.
“I couldn’t believe that being a medical worker, I myself was hospitalized this time during quarantine,” said Lin. “This is a shift of role for me, showing a different angle of the health control work during this whole pandemic.”
“I’m even more craving to getting back to my job, which has proven so essential during this special period,” she added. “It’s really important to be vigilant for the prevention of the virus.”
Lin is currently still under care in hospital. She said she looks forward to rejoicing with her mother and brother, and taking a deep breath of fresh air down her favorite streets.
“The volunteers who knock door by door to serve residents, the policeman who are willing to go through the quarantine with us ... these are all unique memories to us," she said. "We are all in this together.”
Lin's little brother is taken good care of by Didi driver and volunteer Peng Hui at the complex after she was sent to hospital because of heart issues.
