Wang Lan, deputy to the 13th National People's Congress and head of the Wuhan Blood Center, stands before Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan, former epicenter of the outbreak of novel coronavirus and capital city of Central China's Hubei Province [People's Daily]

"Participation in the battle against novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Huoshenshan Hospital, which was built to treat seriously ill patients infected with COVID-19, was a memorable experience for all people concerned. We did our utmost to race against the clock and the communicable disease, and the hospital has already become a battlefield landmark for us in the arduous war," said Wang Lan, head of the Wuhan Blood Center and deputy to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), in a recent late-night phone interview from the workplace.

Together with her colleagues, Wang made great efforts to ensure the safety and sufficient supply of blood for the treatment of patients infected with COVID-19 ever since the the epidemic broke out in Wuhan, capital city of Central China's Hubei Province, in late January.

Wang was summoned to transfer her work from the Wuhan Blood Center to Huoshenshan Hospital on February 29.

Wang explained that the supply of blood is as important as medicine for medical workers in the treatment of patients, especially those in serious condition. In addition, the collection of blood plasma donated by recovered patients has also played a key role in relevant clinical research and treatment.

According to Wang, the blood center launched an emergency response plan in a timely manner, held a special meeting about the collection, supply, maintenance and lining-up of blood, and conducted professional training of its employees about how to protect donors and staff workers from infection with COVID-19 in the process of blood donation.

Apart from following the advice of the Chinese Society of Blood Transfusion on blood donation amid the outbreak of public health incidents, the center also maintained close contact with its domestic counterparts and experts in clinical laboratories in other provinces and regions in order to further deepen the understanding of the COVID-19 in the early period.

Wang came up with a proposal to quarantine donated blood for 14 days in the center's blood bank in consideration of the incubation period of COVID-19. Moreover, follow-up visits to donors were organized to check whether there was any problem with their physical health after blood donation.

To resolve the shortage of platelets and reduce public gatherings, Wang called on blood donors to make a phone reservation and wait at their home for the arrival of her colleagues.

As of March 24, over 1,500 local people had contributed their blood to the center and none of them had been found with the infection of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the center's staff workers travelled to nine provinces, including Anhui, Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces, to transport local blood resources every week in recent months.

Wang said that her center intensified its efforts to collect the donation of blood plasma among recovered patients on February 13 when the National Health Commission and the health commissions of Hubei and Wuhan planned to utilize plasma in the treatment of more patients, especially those in critical condition.

Many recovered people, especially medical workers, showed great enthusiasm for donating their plasma when they learned the news. As of March 24, 344 individuals had contributed  their plasma.

When talking about her proposals at the postponed session of the 13th NPC this year, Wang disclosed that she will concentrate on the prevention and control of communicable diseases and the improvement of public health, instead of continuing with the focus on issues connected with blood donation made last year.

More specifically, she will conduct inspections and research on topics such as institutional building of public health and emergency response, the reform of preventive medicine education, and the cultivation of general practitioners in grassroots medical institutes after winning the battle against the COVID-19, and will reinforce her remarks to the annual session of the NPC with the latest scientific findings.

(Source: People's Daily/Translated and edited by Women of China)