Chinese authorities push for protection, care of frontline medics

Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visits members of medical teams from Henan, Guangxi and Gansu in a hotel in the Hankou District of Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province, Feb. 21, 2020. The central government team leading by Sun Chunlan, has studied the rotation of medical workers, strengthened guidance on hospital infection protection and improved psychological counseling in the COVID-19 epicenter to better care for frontline medical workers. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

BEIJING, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- A central government team has studied the rotation of medical workers, strengthened guidance on hospital infection protection and improved psychological counseling in the COVID-19 epicenter to better care for frontline medical workers.

Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who leads the team, on Friday visited members of medical teams from Henan, Guangxi and Gansu in a hotel in the Hankou District of Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province.

"The vast number of medical workers are the most admirable people," Sun said. The guiding team expressed respect and gratitude to medical workers on behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Sun also called for better protecting and caring for policemen, sanitation workers, community workers and volunteers, who also contribute to the normal operation of the temporary hospitals.

Currently, over 40,000 medical personnel, including military medics, have been sent to Wuhan from across the country. The team has prepared daily necessities for each of them.

Visiting a temporary hospital converted from a gymnasium in Wuhan, Sun inspected the testing work of the mobile P3 laboratories and patient treatment of the hospital, and talked to medical workers from Jiangsu and Guizhou via video links, who are currently working in the temporary hospital.

The guiding team also visited the headquarters of Wuhan Union Hospital, where 516 COVID-19 patients have been hospitalized. Visiting maternity wards and other wards, Sun stressed the need to make overall arrangements for the treatment of other patients during the fight against the novel coronavirus, to meet people's daily medical needs.