Since the epidemic outbreak, the medical workers in the hospitals of Shougang Group, including Peking University Shougang Hospital, Shougang Shuigang General Hospital, Shougang Changgang Hospital, Shougang Guigang Worker’s Hospital and Shougang Mine Hospital, have come forward courageously and fully devoted themselves to the medical treatment and epidemic prevention and control resolutely and rapidly. In order to protect the safety and health of the people, they have built an indestructible “Great Wall of Iron and Steel” for the epidemic prevention and control. We kept in our mind many touching pictures and scenes of Shougang’s medical workers rushing to help, working hand in hand, holding their positions and fighting bravely for a long time and presenting a vivid interpretation of Shougang’s spirit.

Charge ahead and party members at the front line

Since the outbreak, to meet the needs of the medical treatment and the unified deployment of the local health commissions and the Party Committee of Shougang Group, hospitals of Shougang in various places have organized and built up the emergency medical rescue teams and dispatched medical workers to support Hubei.

Urged by the mission, they marched towards wherever they were needed most to fight the epidemic. They stepped on the road of rescue and broke through the fog of illness. There are always solid footsteps of Shougang people on the way to fight against the epidemic.

On January 27, 2020, in western Guizhou, Zhang Qin, Director of Infection Management Department of Shougang Shuigang General Hospital and party member, went to Ezhou No.3 Hospital in Hubei Province with more than 100 members of Guizhou medical team for work. “I have known my duty since I put on this white coat more than 20 years ago. This is my combat uniform. As long as the motherland needs us, we will fight for her without hesitation.” Zhang Qin said emotionally. On February 11, Xia Renhai, Director of Critical Medicine Department of Shuigang General Hospital and party member, also joined “the second medical team of Guizhou Province’s counterpart support to the NCP prevention and control in Ezhou, Hubei Province”, which is composed of 137 medical workers, to carry out work in Leishenshan Hospital in Ezhou. The day before that, he had just returned to Liupanshui with the fourth batch of foreign aid medical workers of Shuigang General Hospital from Panzhou. He was so busy working in the hospital that he couldn’t return home before he went to Ezhou, Hubei. “I will fulfill my mission!” Xia Renhai made a vow. On February 13, Pan Yuanyuan, a provincial expert resident in Shuigang General Hospital, who has rich experience in routine ECG, esophageal electrophysiology, ambulatory ECG, and routine examination and diagnosis of treadmill exercise test, also embarked on the journey of fighting the epidemic in Ezhou, Hubei. “During the special period of fighting the epidemic across the country, I feel it’s incumbent on me to respond to the call and step forward bravely as a medical worker. We will definitely win the battle against epidemic prevention and control!” Pan Yuanyuan said firmly.

At the foot of Taihang Mountains, the General Party Branch of Shougang Changgang Hospital issued an initiative “Epidemic is an Order and Prevention and Control is Responsibility. We Always Stand by for it” to support Hubei to workers in the hospital. All party members and medical workers actively responded to the initiative and submitted nearly 100 applications to the organization for the battle.

At the foot of Western Hills, the Party Committee of Peking University Shougang Hospital called on the medical workers of the hospital, especially the party members, to demonstrate and set an example with a high sense of political responsibility and mission, and to rush to the front line of the epidemic. Yang Junnan, Secretary of the Second Party Branch of the Clinical Department of Internal Medicine, said, “As the secretary of the party branch, I must take the lead in fighting in the battle!” Li Jingfang, Secretary of the Fourth Party Branch of the Outpatient Department, said: “If necessary, I will rush to the front line of epidemic prevention and control!” “In this battle, our medical workers are soldiers at the front line. We should be able to and dare to go up to win this battle. As a party member and emergency doctor, it is my indispensable duty.” Zhu Zhenzhong, director of the Emergency Department, said firmly.

After the medical workers and party members of Shougang Hospital actively responded to the call and applied for fighting the battle one after another, the hospital set up an emergency medical rescue team for Wuhan, Hubei. The team was composed of five medical workers, including Song Liping, Deputy Chief Physician of Respiratory and Critical Medicine Department, Xu Jiliang, Chief Physician of Infectious Diseases Department, Tang Weiliang, nurse of Critical Medicine Department, Kou Siyu, nurse of Respiratory and Critical Medicine Department, and Zhang tie, chief nurse of Critical Medicine Department. They got themselves ready at all times, and waited for the superior’s order to march immediately.

At present, the members of the medical team are ready to leave at any time while sticking to their positions in the hospital.

Among the 15 members in the medical team, half of them are party members; overcoming difficulties in their families, like the care of their young children or elderly parents, all of them devoted themselves to the treatment work without hesitation. They said that with the care and support of Shougang cadres and workers, they would do a good job in disease diagnosis and treatment, and the epidemic prevention and control as well as the treatment of patients in Shijingshan District, showing the good style and image of Shougang medical workers, and completing the task successfully and excellently!

Fight at the forefront without hesitation

Iron and steel have been cast, and we fear no diseases! Shougang medical workers have taken the initiative to fulfill their responsibilities and show their courage and uprightness. In the battle against the epidemic, they will refine their bone of steel and iron and become a person of integrity that can stand severe tests.

Zhang Qin, Director of Infection Management Department of Shougang Shuigang General Hospital and party member, one of the 3 medical workers who went to support Hubei, joined the battle as soon as she arrived at Ezhou No.3 Hospital on January 28. According to Zhang Qin, on the day she arrived at the hospital, there were only more than 50 patients in the hospital; by February 12, the number of patients in Ezhou, Hubei increased to more than 800, so the treatment work was an extremely arduous task. She analyzed the current situation of the hospital, planned the layout, trained 30 Guizhou medical workers who were assigned to Ezhou No.3 Hospital on prevention and control work, and conducted in-depth guidance on disinfection, quarantine and cleaning of the ward area. She, together with Guizhou medical team and Ezhou local medical workers, made every effort to treat and appease patients and reduce the infection rate. The local people sent many thank-you letters to Guizhou medical team. In response, Zhang Qin said that the trust and praise of the public made the medical workers feel more gratified and more motivated in work.

Xia Renhai, Director of the Critical Medicine Department of Shuigang General Hospital and party member, left for Hubei Province on February 11. Upon arriving, he served as deputy leader of Guizhou’s first medical aid team in Leishenshan Hospital in Ezhou, and was responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of patients in the ward. Although he was physically tired under the work pressure and intensity, his heart was still full of energy. He said, “As long as the epidemic doesn’t end, we will stick to the battlefield and fight against the virus with what we have learned.”

“Shuigang colleagues fighting in Hubei, we are fighting with you side by side!” This is the earnest words from the medical workers at Peking University Shougang Hospital. Zhu Weijing, Deputy Director of the Respiratory and Critical Medicine Department and party member, deputy head nurse Liu Yuebo and other 13 medical workers of Peking University Shougang Hospital, are currently working hermetically and hard in admitted wards for patients with NCP in Shijingshan District.

  In admitted wards for patients with NCP in Shijingshan District, Zhu Weijing served as the secretary and head of the temporary party branch of the district’s designated medical institution. He told the reporter that over 50 medical workers from 7 hospitals including Peking University Shougang Hospital had formed a medical team covering medical treatment, nursing, testing and radiology in a few days to provide medical services for patients with NCP. “Although we are a temporary party branch, our party spirit and our role are always there. As the secretary of the party branch, I should pay attention to the work and mental and physical conditions of all medical workers and solve practical problems relying on the party organization to jointly complete the diagnosis and treatment tasks.”

After being admitted to the ward, a patient was too painful to open his eyes. Zhu Weijing urgently contacted relevant ophthalmologists for remote consultation and pharmacy for purchasing drugs. The patient could open his eyes the next day after diagnosis and medication, which was the happiest moment for Zhu Weijing.

In the hermetical treatment of patients with NCP in admitted wards in Shijingshan District, Zhu Weijing also celebrated a “meaningful” Lantern Festival. He began to treat patients with NCP from the early morning on February 8. When he just began to have lunch at 2 p.m., another 3 patients with NCP were admitted. When he finished his work before dawn, he walked out of the ward, took off his protective clothing, and heated several cool dumplings with the microwave oven for the festival. At this moment, he saw the message “Happy Lantern Festival, Dad” in WeChat from his 9-year-old daughter. He was too moved to stop his nose twitching and his eyes crying although he seldom showed his feelings. But he wouldn’t shed tears. He said, “I have to blink hard to stop my nose twitching, because I have to continue the battle.”

Persist in prevention and control

Amid the epidemic, the screening clinic for patient with symptom of fever in Beijing Shougang Hospital has become the forefront facing the danger. The reporter learned that the medical workers here needed to be fully armed wearing protective clothing and masks every day and stuck to the consulting room for diagnosing and treating fever patients for 24 hours without stop. In the face of high risks, they tried best to overcome many difficulties and challenges without hesitation, stuck to their posts, and worked hard for screening. In the fever patient screening clinic, the reporter saw Zhang Dan, Director of the hospital’s Infectious Diseases Department and party member, was diagnosing a patient. After careful consultation and taking into account all the examination results, she diagnosed the patient as “upper respiratory infection”, and then gave the patient a prescription and some advice. Zhang Dan was calm and worked orderly. Thanking repeatedly, the patient and his families said, “The doctors and nurses here are professional and responsible, so we feel assured.”

Since the outbreak, fever patients have been swarming into the hospital waiting for diagnosis, treatment and screening. There was heavy workload for doctors in the fever patient screening clinic. In this case, the medical workers of the Infectious Diseases Department who had rich clinical experience in infectious diseases took the initiative to apply for working at fever patient screening clinic. Zhang Dan told the reporter that at present, the Infectious Diseases Department of Peking University Shougang Hospital has 9 doctors and 14 nurses, and the hospital has arranged a reserve team to support the fever patient screening clinic at any time.

To make full use of badly-needed protective clothing, many comrades in Shougang Hospital tried not to drink water, eat or go to the toilet at work. Zhang Dan and her colleagues have tried to prolong their working time every day. When they took off their protective clothing, their clothes had already got wet. At their busiest time, they worked for three days in a row and rested for just an hour or two every day. They might take a snap leaning on a chair or bending over a table. Despite the hard work, Zhang Dan still chose to stick to screening. She said, “Regardless of the risk, I’ll rush ahead, work ahead, and take my responsibility at the front line of epidemic prevention and control, as it is original aspiration as a party member and department director.”

As an important part of the leading group for NCP prevention and control in Peking University Shougang Hospital, the Medical Department has a great responsibility. To ensure the security of patients and clinical staff to the most extent, maintain a good medical environment and carry out identification, diagnosis and treatment of patients with NCP, Bo Tianhui, Zhang Xiuying, Ye Qing, Wang Zhengkun and Liu Fengyu, the five “iron ladies” in the Medical Department, have responded quickly and cooperated with each other to provide in-depth guidance and training for the whole hospital to ensure the implementation of each prevention and control measure, organize expert consultation, coordinate and establish medical teams, build a platform for learning prevention and control knowledge and training, and report to the leading group for NCP prevention and control in time; they have organized and participated in more than 30 meetings and drafted more than 10 relevant programs, systems and notices, worked out diagnosis process through combing the process, set up a NCP specialist group in Peking University Shougang Hospital and 5 reserve medical echelons with nearly 100 doctors and reported 54 backup emergency members to Beijing Municipal Health Commission, involving nearly 37 clinical departments in the hospital. 

Training for NCP has been carried out in a comprehensive and diversified way by the infection control office of Peking University Shougang Hospital. Due to the large flow of people in Outpatient and Emergency Department, pediatric clinic, fever clinic, respiratory clinic, pre-examination triage point, drug delivery and charging window, the hospital’s Infection Management Office has went deep into the front line, conducted on-site protection training and guidance for many times, guided each staff to master standard prevention technology, urged the implementation of protective measures, and carried out personalized prevention and control training for the workers of the General Affairs Office, auxiliary doctors, cleaners, medical waste recyclers and other logistics support personnel. Li Qi, the probationary party member and Director of the Infection Management Office, giving up her holiday and sticking to her post, kept close communication with relevant sections and departments, coordinated for protective materials, guided departments to use protective equipment reasonably and normatively, conducted quarantine prevention and control and disinfection measures guidance for fever clinic, General Affairs Office and hospital supermarket on site, and constantly pushed and guided diagnosis and treatment prevention and control plans and classified protection through WeChat, so as to ensure the protection of medical personnel in place and the medical safety in the hospital.

Zhu Zhenzhong, Secretary of the Second Party Branch of the Outpatient Department of Peking University Shougang Hospital and Director of the Emergency Department said that the emergency department played the role of the “bridgehead” of the hospital, and the party branch of the department was the fortress of the battle, so they would strive to play a good role of “bridge fortress” in the hospital’s battle against the epidemic. Facing urgent, difficult, new, heavy and special work with high risk, 87 emergency medical workers in the emergency department undertook the diagnosis and treatment of intestinal outpatient service without hesitation even though they were very busy. Regardless of hardship and tiredness, emergency nurses worked hard for rescuing many batches of patients under different situations and during different periods. Medical workers in the Emergency Department including Cui Wenguang, Sun Fengqiang, Zhang Chunyan, Yang Jianhong, Wang Yalin and Xu Jing said that although they were high-risk groups susceptible to infection, they would always be there when facing difficulties, as it was their responsibility and accountability.

Since the outbreak, the Respiratory and Critical Medicine Department in Peking University Shougang Hospital has been receiving an increasing number of patients. While ensuring the normal diagnosis and treatment of outpatient and ward, the department has selected experienced medical workers to support Shijingshan District. Xiang Pingchao, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Respiratory and critical Medicine Department of Peking University Shougang Hospital, also head of the NCP expert group in Shijingshan District, Beijing, has not had a day off since the Spring Festival. In addition to the daily presiding and coordinating of various epidemic prevention works, he also had to ensure that the diagnosis and treatment of the department are performed normally. Although he only slept 5 to 6 hours a day, he still felt that there was not enough time. He said, “We should take our responsibility as party members and cadres in this case. In front of the epidemic, we have to seize every minute and second.”

On February 12, at the remote consultation hosted by Xiang Pingchao, attended by Wu Liping, Deputy Director of Shijingshan District Health Committee, Section Chief Qiao Yanyun, and Wang Haiying, Deputy Director of Peking University Shougang Hospital, Xiang Pingchao and Cao Zhixin from West Branch of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, and Feng Zhongxing from Yuquan Hospital, conducted a detailed consultation through video for a patient with NCP who was admitted in the ward in Shijingshan District. After a comprehensive assessment by the expert group, the physical signs of recovered patient met the discharge standard in “The Diagnosis and Treatment Plan of Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (the fifth pilot edition)”, and the recovered patient was allowed to be discharged on February 13. The recovered patient would also be the first patient discharged from Shijingshan District. According to Director Xiang Pingchao, after being discharged, the recovered patient would go to the designated resting place for quarantine and recuperation according to the requirements and time limit, and carry out regular temperature test, and then return home after all is normal.

As the hospital with “NCP designated fever clinic in Guizhou”, Shuigang General Hospital set up a leading group, organized work coordination meeting and multiple rounds of all staff training, and completed the work of pre-examination triage, fever clinic and quarantine ward according to the standard process, constantly improved the emergency plan, and formulated 19 related work processes. All work was carried out steadily and orderly. Within 24 hours after Shuigang General Hospital issued the proposal for fighting against the epidemic, 110 medical workers of the hospital asked for joining the battle. Before and after Zhang Qin, Xia Renhai and Pan Yuanyuan went to support Ezhou, Hubei to fight the epidemic, Shuigang General Hospital also sent a group of experts supporting Panzhou, including Zhang Min, the hospital’s Vice President, Xiang Xiaohong, Deputy Director of the Nursing Department, and Wang Ling, an expert of the hospital’s Infection Management Department, to actively participate in the local epidemic prevention and control.

Changgang Hospital set up an epidemic prevention and control group, organized a special meeting, and fully deployed the prevention and control work. The medical workers of the hospital returned to the hospital after the Spring Festival holiday, and actively participated in the epidemic prevention work to protect the safety of Changzhi City. As Changgang Hospital was designated as “fever clinic in Changzhi City” by Changzhi Municipal Health Committee to undertake the tasks of early screening, protection, quarantine and reporting, the hospital quickly established a fever clinic. Withstanding pressure, hospital logistics and 5 workers in the hospital’s Information Department completed the work in 36 hours, from purchasing chairs to connecting the computer information network; the hospital’s party members took the initiative to apply to work in the fever clinic to diagnose and screen fever patients. The CPC members of the hospital’s Surgical Department and Internal Medicine Department, department directors and head nurses of each department worked in the fever clinic for 24 hours in groups. From January 23 to February 5, there were 100 person-times on duty in fever clinic. Among which, Dai Li, a nurse in fever clinic, was on duty for 10 consecutive days, responsible for materials, cleaning, disinfection, data reporting and other work of fever clinic, so as to ensure the work of fever clinic. Cui Hongmei, Director of the hospital’s Follow-up Office, followed up more than 100 fever patients and other patients to ensure that there was no omission in the epidemic prevention and control. Medical supplies were purchased through various channels by the Hospital’s Pharmacy Department and the Outreach Office. Wei Peng, Secretary of the Party Branch directly under the hospital, Chang Liang, a member of the Science and Education department, and Han Yuetong, a member of the Outreach Department are all party members. They spent 17 hours and 26 hours respectively, traveling 1,000 kilometers to Datong and 2,400 kilometers to Nanchang to purchase two batches of materials to meet the needs of medical workers.

Ding Xiaoyan, Secretary of the General Party Branch of Guigang Worker’s Hospital, Long Yi, Committee Member of the General Party Branch and President, and Wu Yinghong, Committee Member of the General Party Branch and Vice President, led the party members, cadres and staff representatives of the hospital to make a solemn commitment facing the party flag and national flag that they would keep in mind their original mission, take the lead in strengthening political responsibility, and always stick to the post in epidemic prevention and control. The hospital’s party and administration leaders performed their duties by coordinating and solving the problems of materials and personnel, and working hard on epidemic monitoring, investigation, early warning and prevention and control. Medical workers voluntarily gave up their holiday and asked for fighting in the battle: Yang Hongxu, a young medical worker, postponed the wedding ceremony and chose to work with his colleagues; Sheng Jiang, the physician in charge of the hospital’s Internal Medicine who has been a party member for over 30 years, was in the outpatient clinic. Every day, in the face of people with high risk, he strictly checked every fever patient and every suspected case, studied and diagnosed the disease. He worked overtime continuously during the Spring Festival holiday. So far, he has received more than 260 person-times of patients, with an average of more than 30 people a day. Radiation examination is an important screening method for suspected cases. The party members of imaging department took the lead, and all medical workers of the department carried out imaging examination for fever patients 24 hours a day; Ding Yan, a party member and Internal Medicine nurse, always said, “No problem. We’ll finish the task with quality and quantity guaranteed.” All members of the Burn Department actively responded to the call of the hospital’s General Party Branch, and actively asked for fight at the front line of epidemic prevention and control. Head nurse Dai Jing and doctor Liu Junzhang said as party members, they would go wherever they are needed. Party members of the Administrative Party Branch provided strong logistical support for epidemic prevention and control by doing a good job in the maintenance of water and electricity and other equipment, canteen supply, temperature monitoring and reporting, and safety assurance; Tang Lili, Director of the hospital’s Infection Management Office, collected and made NCP courseware and distributed it to all departments of the hospital for study, assisted the hospital in troubleshooting, and implemented the disinfection of protective measures for medical workers in key departments. Chu Zheng, the head of the ambulance squad, said, “We are on call. Every time we get out, we’ll protect ourselves well. When we get back to the garage, we’ll disinfect the ambulance immediately.” On January 28, the first service center of Youzha Community received a notice from Nanming District Health and Family Planning Bureau, asking to send medical personnel to the designated hotel for epidemic monitoring and investigation. The hospital’s party and administration leaders immediately deployed and established Zhang Changchun, Director of the first service center of Youzha Community, as the team leader, and led Xie Ying, Li Chongying, He Yun, Zhang Xiewen and Ding Yan to work in the hotel. Every day, they made check-in registration for travelers from Hubei, Hunan and other places, regularly monitored body temperature, provided psychological guidance for travelers and cleaned and disinfected the quarantine area.

The medical workers of Shougang are doing their best to be healthy gatekeepers with fast action and strong defense. The epidemic prevention and control in many hospitals of Shougang is still going on.

At this moment, those in white coats fear no difficulties to protect the health and happiness of the people and deliver warmth to them; at this moment, the Shougang strength of close solidarity, mutual assistance, selfless support and dedication is powerful.

Behind them are 100-year-old Shougang as the pillar of state-owned enterprises, ahead them the mission and faith are shining. The medical workers of Shougang who are fighting against the epidemic are bound to live up to their mission and return safely!