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C2 Jing’an Tuesday 28 April 2020 Shanghai Daily

Medics return home, travelers taken home

Wuhan work was testing, rewarding

Li Qian “I was really touched,” Wu said. “I re-
alized how much we were needed and
On April 14, nurse Wu Ruikun burst into supported by the people of Wuhan.”
tears when she was reunited with family On March 27, that same patient was
and colleagues after completing the 14- among the last group discharged from
day quarantine imposed on her return the hospital ward before it closed.
from work in Wuhan, the former epicen-
“When she left, we expressed our
ter of the novel cornonavirus outbreak. hope that each of us would return home
She hadn’t seen them for more than two safely,” Wu said. “I also hugged my team-
months.
Wu, who works at Zhabei Central Hos- mates. Finally, we could go home.”
pital, was among the six medical workers Among more than 1,600 medics sent
sent by Jing’an District to aid Wuhan in from Shanghai to Wuhan, Wu Tingting
its time of need. and Chen were the only two from a com-
munity clinic.
Currently, all six staff have finished
14-day quarantine and been reunited “I felt so proud to be involved,” Wu
with their families. Tingting said. “Over two months, I’ve ex- Returned medics from Wuhan get a warm reception back in Jing’an. — Ti Gong
Wu and Wu Tingting and Chen Yajuan, perienced so many firsts: the first time
two nurses from a community clinic in I rode on an old ‘green-skinned’ train,
Pengpu Xincun Subdistrict, left their the first time I had to wear disposable
families and went to Wuhan on Janu- diapers during work, and the first time
ary 27. They worked at Wuhan Jinyintan I had to sit with patients all night.”
Hospital, a facility designated for novel She often worked at 12:30-9am. Her
coronavirus patients, for more than two protective clothing was drenched in
months. sweat by the end of the shifts, and she
“The three of us experienced the first felt chest distress. Despite such hard-
snowfall in Wuhan and later enjoyed the ships, she never complained. Instead,
beautiful cherry blossom season,” said she always smiled, earning herself
Wu Ruikun, recalling an assignment the nickname “smiling eyes” among
with unforgettable memories. patients.
On March 17, one patient saw a TV news “Some of my patients have become my
report that the first group of Shanghai friends, and we’ve exchanged WeChat
medics would be returning home. She accounts,” she said. “They said they
asked Wu if she would be among them. would give me a tour of their city once
When told no, she told Wu she felt guilty the pandemic ends and treat me to the Three nurses from Jing’an arrive in A medic is reunited with his wife after
that her infection was preventing the local specialty of hot dry noodles.” Shanghai after finishing their work in a returning from Wuhan and completing a
nurse from returning to loved ones. She recalled the patient who had just Wuhan hospital. 14-day quarantine.
come out of quarantine and accompa-
nied the nurses to the train station when
they left on March 31. to find our way.” He said the patients who recovered from the virus and be-
Psychologists Wu Rongqin, Liu Yaliang cheered their arrival and thanked them came a volunteer assisting medical
and Shi Dongqing from the Jing’an Men- for coming all the way from Shanghai. teams at the hospital.
tal Health Center started working at a “I was proud that Shanghai medics “She was outgoing and optimistic,” Wu
I was proud that Jiang’an temporary hospital on February had become such a positive brand,” he said. “She helped us learn a lot about the
said.
mental health of other patients.”
Shanghai medics 25. Later, they were dispatched to “pop- Wu Rongqin said both patients and However, when that patient was in
up” hospitals in Wuhan, returning to
had become such a Shanghai on March 31. medics could become physical and emo- quarantine, she herself developed
tional wrecks. What they needed most
mental stress, suffering insomnia and
“When we first entered a temporary
positive brand. hospital, it took me half and hour to was a safety valve, such as crying loud irritation.
get into protective gear,” Liu said. “As or doing exercises. “I told her to vent her adverse emotions
Wu Rongqin psychologists, we lacked experience in “We always told each other to just cry in several consultations via WeChat, like
Psychologist from the Jing’an wearing heavy protective clothing. The if you needed to cry,” she said. “It’s really getting some exercise when she was in
Mental Health Center goggles fogged up in 10 minutes, so we a good way to relieve pressure.” a bad mood,” Wu said. “gradually, the
had to enter the wards hand in hand She recalled a patient surnamed Wang, happy and optimistic Wang returned.”

Waiting was hard. One ‘Together, we are a powerful force in the battle’
day, I waited at the
airport from 11pm to Xiao Li required to register their information one
8:30am to get enough THOugH the pandemic is well contained by one, and then guided to the reception
desks of different districts for transport
people to transport. in Shanghai, volunteers at airports are still home.
busy safeguarding the gateways into the
city. “When all that was done, they were guid-
Gan Chentong gan Chentong, an official from the ed to buses,” gan said. “We had to wait for
a bus to be at least half-full before hitting
A Jing'an volunteer at Pudong publicity department of Jing’an, is one of the road.”
International Airport them. However, he found satisfaction in the
“I’ve been working at Pudong airport for work.
more than a week,” he said. “My job is to “I helped a Frenchwoman with three
transport inbound passengers to quaran- children and nine pieces of luggage, and
tine sites. It sounds easy but in fact it’s a she kept expressing her gratitude to me,”
hard job.” he said.
One of the earliest challenges was don- gan said there are 19 members on his
ning protective gear. Then, escorting people team.
to different quarantine sites proved time- They include Wang Weilong, a Wuhan
consuming and exhausting. But the worst native who didn’t hesitate to join in the
part was waiting around for new groups of effort. Chen Jialu and Chen Ran are fluent
passengers to arrive. in English and very patient in explaining
“Waiting was hard,” he said. “One day, I quarantine procedures to incoming for-
A team of volunteers from Jing’an helps waited at the airport from 11pm to 8:30am eigners, he said.
transport airport arrivals to home or to get enough people to transport.” “Together, we are a powerful force in the
quarantine sites. — Ti Gong After flights landed, passengers were battle against the virus,” he said.