Return of the hero: infected nurse returns to frontline to fight COVID-19 (3)

Back to the frontline

On February 23, seventeen days after his recovery, Zhang went back to the hospital to help the patients. (Photo by Zhang Changsheng)

Ever since Zhang came back home, he started planning to go back to the hospital, as he know there were many patients who were going through what he had, and he wanted to bring them comfort.

“Many medical workers in my hospital have been working for days on end since the virus began spreading. I want to go back to the frontline to share their burden, because they must be exhausted and stressed,” said Zhang.

While waiting for his application to be approved, Zhang and his colleagues also decided to donate their blood to patients, as they wanted to do whatever they could to tackle the virus if they couldn’t work.

On February 23, seventeen days after his recovery, Zhang went back to the hospital to help the patients. His colleagues wrote his name on his protection suit, and his patients welcomed him on his return.

On his first day back at work, Zhang saved two patients who suffered cerebral hemorrhage by inserting a peripherally inserted central catheter into them, a complicated medical procedure that is tiring and time-consuming.

“It took me at least half an hour to perform the procedure. After it was done, I was covered in sweat and could hardly breathe,” said Zhang.

For his own safety, the hospital has decided to reduce his workload and assigned him more administrative work, but Zhang insists on doing more for his patients.

“I have been telling the hospital that I’m ready to go back to the frontline, because that is where I’m needed, ” said Zhang.