Peking University, March 5, 2020: The following is a diary written by Ding Lu, a nurse from the Department of Critical Care Medicine at Peking University People’s Hospital (PKUPH) and a member of medical teams to Wuhan.

 

Ding Lu
 

February 10, 2020  Monday

Given Wuhan’s growing demand for medical workers, Peking University People’s Hospital sent a team of nearly 100 nurses to Tongji Hospital for the fight against COVID-19. Director Wang Ling from the Nursing Department took charge of allocating members to different groups, making sure that each group was well-balanced in manpower and that critically ill patients would get proper treatment. Each group was led by one experienced head nurse, and I led 16 nurses who come from the Department of Internal Medicine, Department of Surgery, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Critical Care Medicine. 

Normally, we all played our own parts in our positions, and had different roles in our own life. But now, on the front line of the battle against COVID-19, we are the fearless warriors, giving all we have to save the critically ill patients. As a group leader, apart from looking after patients, I needed to allocate group members and protective gear, thus ensuring the smooth progress of nursing work. Since most of our group members had not dealt with a public health emergency before, they were unfamiliar with putting on and taking off protective suits. Together with members from the first batch of national medical team, I instructed them how to wear a protective suit and checked the tightness of their masks over and over again so as to ensure their safety. When we worked, due to oxygen deficiency and fatigue, we talked very little to minimize oxygen consumption. That’s why we greeted and encouraged each other using gestures. Every group member were doing their best to safeguard every human life with their adamant will, professional skills and strong work ethics.

In isolation wards where the virus was the most contagious, our group members put their lives and families behind them. My dearest fellows, after seeing your hard work and dedication, I hope you are all physically and mentally well at work and we can return home safe and sound. 
 

Translated by: Liu Zhenwei
Edited by: Liu Xin
Source: Peking University People's Hospital