It has been 40 days since 35-year-old Anggelima and her team members of the Inner Mongolia medical team rushed to Central China's Hubei Province on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year.
"I have worked as a physician in the respiratory department for 10 years. I am neither too young nor too old and I am a Party member; therefore, I think it's more appropriate for me to come to Hubei than others," Anggelima explained why she came to Hubei to provide medical aid for the fight against the novel coronavirus.
Anggelima, has been working in the Fourth Hospital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region for 10 years.
Anggelima's husband is a soldier. He was very anxious about her when she left for Hubei, so were her parents. However, since Anggelima has made her decision, all her family members supported her.
Except for the time when she was packing baggage at home, Anggelima hasn't seen her two daughters since Spring Festival. "I want to set a good example for them and teach them to be strong, confident and responsible. They will be proud of my choice," she said.
On January 28, she began working at Renhe Hospital in Jingmen City in Hubei, which is a severely-hit epidemic area about 100 kilometers from Wuhan.
"I got up at 6:00 am every day, then went to the hospital. I took at least one hour to put on and take off protective gear and I needed to diagnose more than 20 suspected patients, conduct reexaminations and test and write medical records and medical advice in one shift," Anggelima explained her duty.
She added that due to every patient being separately quarantined in a ward they were a bit scared and afraid of their health condition. The doctors' daily rounds in the wards were the patients' only chance to talk with another person.
Anggelima understood their condition and tried to talk more with them in order to comfort and encourage them.
The Fourth Hospital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has rich experience in infectious diseases prevention and control, having played a key role in treating tuberculosis, SARS and Influenza A virus.
Over the past 40 days, none of the 141 medical staff of the Inner Mongolia medical team in Wuhan were infected.
Of 14 colleagues coming together with Anggelima, 13 were women. "Recently, the situation has gradually improved. All of the medical workers have tried to save Hubei's patients with their medical skills and benevolent minds," she said.
Between January 31 and mid-February, more than 200 COVID-19 patients in Renhe Hospital were discharged.
"Now, we all miss home. We hope that the epidemic will end as soon as possible and that we can go back home with victory," Anggelima said.
(Source: China Women's News/Translated and edited by Women of China)
