Makeshift Hospitals closed: the Medical Team Assisting Hubei from the First Affiliated Hospital of NCU Honored its Mission

On March 14, according to the notification of the higher headquarters, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University’s medical staff assisting Wuhan safely transferred the last few critical patients of covid-19 to the designated hospital for continued treatment. Accompanied by laughter and tears, the medical team assisting Wuhan from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University successfully completed the staged task. The patients in Wuhan Union Hospital’s Oncology Center were all cured or transferred, and the Z14 intensive care unit was officially closed. The medical team would also take a rest in Wuhan. Since being stationed in the Z14 intensive care unit of Wuhan Union Hospital’s Oncology Center on February 13, the medical team from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University has registered and treated totally 87 patients of covid-19, including 7 critical patients, 40 severe patients. Among them, 70 were cured and 16 transferred to other designated hospitals.

After working for 30 days with 720 hours, using their professional medical skills and sincere care, the 141 medical members of our team have created a series of “the first”: the first batch of teams to be stationed in the isolation wards; the first to finish the CRRT treatment of severe patients; the first to achieve ECMO treat alone; the first to complete tracheal intubation; the first to cure severe patients. At the same time, the 93-year-old patient with severe conditions who had been in a coma for more than ten days was finally awake; the medical team, "racing against death", used emergency cardiopulmonary resuscitation successfully rescued a patient who was admitted to the hospital with no heartbeat and breathing.

Scenes of life and death were constantly being staged here. Medical members from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University assisting Wuhan and the people of Wuhan have created a historical chapter in fighting the epidemic. The memory will not fade, and the warmth will last forever.

Racing to assist Wuhan means running to danger but also to hope

On February 12, under the responsibility of rescue tasks of the hospital itself for being the provincial designated hospital to treat the critical and severe patients, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University was ordered in critical condition to form an integrated medical team to support Wuhan. As soon as the assembly notice was issued, a 141-person professional medical team was formed by the hospital in less than half an hour. Hong Tao, a prominent expert in the neurosurgery field, and the deputy dean in charge of medical work, led the team to join the battle with the medical teams from all over the country to launch a heroic and fearless "life guarding war."

On February 13th, Captain Hong Tao led the professional medical staff with their medical equipment, conceiving the care of the compatriots in Wuhan, the hope of the hospital, the concerns of families and friends, came to the epidemic prevention and control front, fighting directly with the virus.

As the "hard core" leader, Hong Tao organized several medical teams overnight to deploy in time to ensure that all works were carried out in an orderly manner. "When the epidemic broke out, I wanted to go to the forefront of Wuhan, but our hospital is a Jiangxi Provincial designated treatment hospital. I couldn’t get away. When I was informed by the superiors that our hospital needs to form a complete medical team to assist Wuhan, I immediately submitted the application form. I am honored to be the leader and feel a strong sense of responsibility. We will shoulder our responsibilities and fulfill our mission. We will never retreat until a full victory is accomplished! ", said Hong Tao.

It took less than 20 hours from the receipt of the emergency notification to the arrival of the reorganized medical team in Wuhan.

Making plans and arrangements, multiple measures were done to create a "safety net" for fighting the epidemic

"It is necessary to always keep the prevention and control work in our minds". This is Hong Tao's repeated instruction to the team members. The epidemic broke out with serious threats to lives, leaving no time for medical workers to hesitate. In the minds of all members of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University assisting Wuhan, there is only one goal which is "to do everything possible to improve the cure rate, reduce mortality, and resolutely achieve "zero infection " of medical staff.

Taking into account the particularity of the epidemic, in order to reduce gathering contact, after comprehensively considering the professional and experience factors of the team members, the first thing it did when the medical team arrived in Wuhan was to establish and improve the medical treatment system, with detailed measures to guarantee the medical quality management.

According to the concept of "breaking the whole into parts", the medical team was divided into 6 medical groups and 10 nursing groups. Each group appointed a group leader, and the team implemented a two-level responsibility system where the group members were responsible to the group leader, and the group leaders were responsible to the team leader. In addition, the medical team also established seven temporary management organizations including the academic expert committee, formulated various work systems, and promoted the work in an orderly manner.

In order to cooperate smoothly with all departments, all leaders of individual parts should participate in the work summary report video conference from 6 to 10 pm every night to summarize and discuss topics like the patient's admission and treatment, the use of life support equipment, and the situation of critical cases. At the same time, the medical team would rectify and solve the various problems found as soon as possible, exert all energy and work hard to ensure that the entire team's combat effectiveness is steadily upgraded.

Fight together with you in the same Armour

"I hope our team members can enter the makeshift hospital with peace of mind and leave safe and sound so that everyone can go back safely!" said Cao Ying, head of nursing in the assisting team from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. What she cared most about was “infection control”. Cao Ying has emphasized the precautions of the physical surface in the isolation ward several times. The ground was cleaned at least four times a day. After the operation, the door of the room should be closed in time, the window should be opened for ventilation, and the patients should wear a mask and do not visit other wards to prevent cross infection ... This seemingly harsh but considerate "Madam Cao" was often busy until late at night to deal with the work, life and psychological state of the team members. Only in this way could the medical staff fight the disease without worries.

In the fight against the pandemic, we stand side by side, wearing the same armour. No matter they are doctors, infection control members, nursers, or logistical personnel, all the solders in the medical team have performed their own duties and worked hard in this epidemic prevention war. They have jointly woven a net, a net of solidarity, a net that keeps the warmth, and holds the hope.

Behind every achievement is perseverance and dedication

With various specialties from different professional background, the members in the medical team were chosen among the best, who master excellent professional skills and are experienced in treating the covid-19 patients. Even a patient in a very complicated condition with many other diseases can be treated within this multidisciplinary medical team, therefore, the cure rate is considerably increased.

Wearing heavy protective suits, the team members rushed between the negative pressure wards, immersed in a long and uninterrupted high-intensity work. Continuous bedside CRRT and ECMO, tracheal intubation and other treatments, irregular ward rounds, real-time monitoring of the patient's condition changes, proposing accurate individualized treatment plan, soothing the patient's emotions, and providing special care to the elderly with mobility issues .... They actually not only treated the disease, but also comforted their hearts.

The birthday party in the isolation wards, the flowers on Women's Day, the farewell parties before the patients’ discharge, the blessings brought by the paper cranes, the kindness to arrange for an old couple to share a room, the haircut service for patients on February 2 of the lunar calendar... Moving stories were seen in the wards everyday, and medical members have dedicated all their hearts to the patients. The members of the medical team has escorted the patient's healing journey with sincerity and endeavored to save their lives.

Z14 critical ward is closed, but hope and love will stay; the soldiers’ returning home is for a better movement in the future.

Next, the medical team assisting Wuhan from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University will continue to carry on the spirit of “able to endure, able to fight, and able to dedicate”, resolutely perform its tasks of medical treatments. Following the concept of “seize the day and live it to the full”, the team will continue to make its own contributions in this battle of epidemic prevention and control.