WUHAN, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- A central government team guiding the coronavirus epidemic control work in China's Hubei Province on Tuesday expressed deep condolences over the death of Liu Zhiming, head of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus epidemic.

Entrusted by Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Yu Xuejun, deputy head of the National Health Commission, visited Liu's family and expressed sincere sympathy to them at a branch of Wuhan-based Tongji Hospital on behalf of the guiding team.

Liu, 51, a neurosurgeon by training, became infected while working to combat the novel coronavirus. He died from the virus on Tuesday morning despite his colleagues' all-out efforts to save his life.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Liu, without regard for his personal safety, led all medical personnel of Wuchang Hospital on the front line to fight against the epidemic, making important contributions to the city's epidemic prevention and control efforts, according to the Wuhan municipal health commission.