What life was like on Wuhan’s frontline for Fudan medics and what advice do they have for Chinese students staying overseas at this time?
From left to right:
Ma Xin, Vice President of Fudan-Huashan Hospital; Tang Luojia, Vice Director of Hospital Management, Fudan-Shanghai Medical College (moderator of the lecture); and Zhu Chouwen, Vice President of Fudan-Zhongshan Hospital
On July 24, the 6th and last of the lecture series designed by Fudan University for all Chinese students studying in the U.S. in the shock of coronavirus across the globe was held. The lecture centering on public health emergency management was presented by Zhu Chouwen, vice president of Zhongshan Hospital, and Ma Xin, vice president of Huashan Hospital, two of Fudan University’s top comprehensive hospitals. Apart from their duties as executive leaders and doctors at the two hospitals in Shanghai, Zhu and Ma both led a medical team from their respective hospitals to aid Wuhan this spring.
Zhu took photos of the articles he used in the hotel when he was in Wuhan and explained that he put shoes and jackets outside the hotel room door and divided the area just inside the hotel room door into three parts to keep the living space virus-free.
He told the audience that the virus control measures were practiced by not only medics, but also hotel staff, shuttle bus drivers, etc. He said, “Everyone has a part in helping control infectious diseases,” and stressed that success of virus control relied on the coordination of everyone in the society on top of the effort of medical professionals.
Ma briefed the audience on the different types of medical facilities, including mobile cabins, module hospitals, ad-hoc hospitals and shelters, used amid public emergencies.
He spoke highly of the adoption of module hospitals in virus-hit areas of China. He believed it was one of the key factors for the country to have successfully brought the pandemic under control. Recalling the scenes inside the module hospitals, Ma proposed prior planning for the next possible major emergencies by adapting public spaces for use in emergencies, making sources for obtaining emergency supplies available, buying portable medical devices that work efficiently in both normal times and emergencies, and regularly conducting multi-department drills.
The two experts advised Chinese students studying abroad to pay close attention to the information concerning the virus control in the surrounding region, talk to their family relatives and friends back home, and be better prepared for the possibility that the pandemic may last longer than expected.
The lecture series was launched on May 29 with Doctor Zhang Wehong presenting the first lecture. Fudan University has thus offered a platform for the vast student community abroad to raise their concerns and support them with important information as to how they can protect themselves and get on with their study and work. By inviting leading experts in various fields to share their insights and answer questions from the audience, the lecture series has helped dispel worries and build people’s confidence in the country’s capability in overcoming major health challenges.
