'Honored workers' complete work in Wuhan
Editor's note:
Many Shanghai medical workers are already in or on their way to support Wuhan, a city now severely stricken by the novel coronavirus outbreak. They are called "the most beautiful people who are going in the reverse direction than most others" by the public. They are combating the new epidemic on the frontline to protect people in the nation. Some of them shared their work experience in Wuhan with Shanghai Daily.
Local medical workers sent to Hubei Province during the COVID-19 pandemic are making their way home group by group as conditions there improve.
Zha Qiongfang, a doctor from Renji Hospital, and her colleagues working at Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan, were told before the weekend that they should hand over their duties to local doctors and report to Shanghai about their return.
Over the past two months, the Shanghainese medics and their "comrade-in-arms" from Hubei and other provinces have been like a family, caring for each other as they fought the virus. Although they feel it's hard to part with new friends, "Shanghai is the most important home for us," said Zha.
They have been busy recording patients' information and conditions for the handover. For those discharged from hospital, the medics had to manage their medical files while making PowerPoint slides for those requiring intubation.
Each team was asked to report the number of coronavirus disease patients, how many of them could leave hospital soon and how many would have to stay. For the latter, if issues other than the disease was stopping them, the team would work out a solution, in conjunction with the hospital if necessary.
"Our medical group will try our best to never leave any problems for others. Even if there's a problem, we will work until the last minute we stay here to minimize it," Zha said, echoing the words of her group’s leader.
One challenge they faced was the transfer of the last critical patient still in an isolation ward. "It's the speed that determines life or death," Zha said. "Due to the restricted conditions, we had to use an air cushion mask — which helps the patient breath oxygen through a mask."
They let the patient try using the air cushion mask, and when they hadn’t found obvious changes to heart rate or blood oxygen saturation for several minutes, the transfer was possible.
A team of medical workers — one leading the way, one taking care of the mask, two moving the bed from the front and another two from the back, one checking the patient, one carrying the patient’s personal items — rushed to the new ward. "After we went downstairs, we started to run. It's a dash of life and race with the virus," Zha said.
They soon got to the intensive care unit in another building with a new medical team waiting there to receive the patient. "When we returned to our ward and took off our protective clothing, we found all of our clothes were soaked with sweat. Our team leader, who worked the night shift and didn't have time to have breakfast, and other doctor with a heart problem, both looked green in the face after the transfer."
On Sunday, with all the handover work done, Zha completed her work report and had time to relax. "I took a walk downstairs after lunch and saw two firemen helping with our luggage which needed to be delivered back to Shanghai. We all appreciate the help their fire brigade gave to us."
Later in the afternoon, each Shanghainese medical worker received a certificate from the hospital for their contribution to the battle with coronavirus in Wuhan.
The words on the certificate read: ”During the fight with coronavirus, you armed yourselves with protective clothing and set out on a difficult path. You were never afraid of sacrifice and always willing to dedicate yourselves, which fully shows the great spirit of medical workers. In gratitude for your special contribution, we award you the title of Jinyintan Hospital's honored worker.”
"At that moment, I felt I become a real Wuhanese," Zha said.