Young Hubei Native Fights on Her Hometown's Front Line

Tang Shan talks with a patient infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on February 28. [Xinhua]

Tang Shan, born in Tianmen City, Central China's Hubei Province, works as a head nurse in the Neurology Department of the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University in North China's Shanxi Province. After the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Tang immediately signed up to join the frontline combatants when she learned of the shortage of medical workers in her hometown Hubei.

After Tang arrived in Wuhan on February 2, her heart was deeply saddened by the deserted street scenes, which are totally different from the original bustling ones she had known. Bringing the city back to life as soon as possible became her motivation at that moment, helping her get through the hard time that followed.

Tang's team was in charge of a zone with a total of 50 patients in severe conditions in the Tongji Hospital. More than 70 percent of them were middle-aged and elderly people and could only speak their dialect, which are not easy for the medical staff to understand.

Tang tried her best to bridge the gap between her and her patients, and enhance their trust in her. By writing the nickname "Tianmen young woman" on her protective clothing, she improved the atmosphere in the ward and relieved the patient's anxiety.

"We must not only treat the patients but also calm them down," she said, noting that increasing patients' trust in medical workers can help them fight the virus.

Besides nursing work, Tang, as a head nurse and vice-captain of the Shanxi medical team, has many other duties, such as optimizing working modes, establishing a smooth workflow with staff from different hospitals and grouping all team members according to their personalities and working background.

As more and more patients got better, Tang began to teach them how to wear masks and wash their hands, helping them manage personal hygiene and have a new mindset after their discharge from hospital. She also hoped that they would set an example for others in scientific self-protection.

A photo taken on February 19 shows Tang wearing her protective clothing with words saying "Tianmen young woman"  [Xinhua]

(Source: Xinhua/Translated and edited by Women of China)