CHINA / SOCIETY
Military medics in Wuhan lift confidence amid epidemic
Published: Feb 03, 2020 12:43 AM


Eight People's Liberation Army Air Force planes deliver 795 military medical staff and 58 tons of supplies from Shenyang, Lanzhou, Guangzhou and Nanjing to Wuhan Tianhe International Airport on Sunday. Photo: CNS Photo


Military medics are preparing to admit the first coronavirus patients on Monday at the new specialized treatment hospital in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, as they join the fight against the epidemic, giving a much-needed confidence boost to weary healthcare workers and the public.

This expert team may play the same role as the 11-expert-team in Beijing's Xiaotangshan Hospital, a model for Huoshenshan Hospital, back during SARS in 2003, as experts customized treatment plans for each patient, which enabled Xiaotangshan Hospital to get the highest cure rate and lowest death rate at the time.

"Zero infection" is one of the goals the PLA medical staff aim at, according to a Xinhua report.

Eight large transport aircraft of the PLA Air Force carrying 795 medical personnel and 58 tons of supplies set out from Shenyang, Lanzhou, Guangzhou and Nanjing Sunday morning and arrived in Wuhan hours later.

Net users commended the PLA's efforts and said they are relieved to see the increased force of military medics in Wuhan.

The PLA medics have good medical rescue and disease prevention capabilities, and are very disciplined and do not fear challenges or death, Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Sunday

The PLA's standardized management is expected to play an important role in containing the epidemic, Song said. 

Experts within the PLA told the Global Times that PLA medics are highly disciplined and have a strong sense of honor and responsibility.

An analyst told the Global Times that the military will ensure to enforce hospitals' strict quarantine measures so no accident will occur.  

One military source said that the PLA has garnered experiences in these major public health emergency events, and possessed a highly efficient and unified command system and logistics system, making the PLA capable of reacting fast, supported by standards of protocols and professional equipment.

A doctor at Wuhan's Tongji Hospital told the Global Times that he expects the military medics to relieve the supply shortage.

The PLA medic forces are an integrated part of China's crisis management mechanism, which is a capability many other countries do not possess, analysts said.