China ups care for “heroic” medics in anti-virus fight

   NANCHANG, Feb. 12 -- Chinese cities are upping measures to support medical workers and their families, who have been in the national spotlight with their sacrifices and heroism in the ongoing battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak.
   In north China's Shanxi Province, the provincial women's federation has started weekly deliveries of vegetables, fruits, meat and other daily necessities to families of doctors and nurses who are at the front line to assist the hardest-hit province of Hubei. So far, hundreds of medical families in the province have received such parcels.
   In Wenzhou of east China's Zhejiang Province, the women's federation also supplies masks and disinfectants, which are in tight supply in most Chinese cities, to needy medical families.
   The city government of Bengbu, Anhui Province, has asked hospitals and communities to assist the families of medical staff in solving "practical difficulties," including purchasing necessities, their children's education and their elderly parents' care.
   The province in eastern China also promised a cash bonus of 6,000 yuan (861 U.S. dollars) to doctors and nurses working at the anti-virus front line, and promotions for those with outstanding performances.
   Some cities are digging into their tourism resources. The city of Chishui in Guizhou Province has waived the entrance fees to its major scenic spots, including a world natural heritage site, for the nation's medics this year in a move to "salute the doctors and nurses at the front line of the epidemic fight."
   In Beijing, the insurance sector is urged to offer tailored products for medics. Li Mingxiao, director of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission's Beijing Supervision Bureau, said insurance agencies in the Chinese capital had donated 25.8 billion yuan worth of insurance to frontline medics and their families.
   To contain the spread of the epidemic, Chinese health authorities have dispatched a total of 11,921 medical personnel from across the country to Hubei, the National Health Commission said Sunday.
   Outside Hubei, a large number of medical workers are also racing against the clock in isolation wards. Some families have seen both the husband and wife busy dedicating their time to hospital work, leaving only the elderly and children at home.
   In east China's Jiangxi Province, officials called for all sectors of society to take good care of the families of frontline medics as if they were "close family."
   Liu Ying, an emergency doctor in Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi, has been in an isolation ward for more than half a month. "I only sleep for about four hours every day," said Liu, whose wife has just given birth and needs extra care.
   To Liu's relief, his hospital has arranged staff to supply food to the family while reassuring his wife with daily updates about Liu's work. After some volunteers donated a batch of fresh vegetables to the hospital, the family immediately received a portion.
   "I feel sorry for my family but at the same time I'm glad that the hospital has come to our aid," said Liu.
   "We should not only provide full protection of medical staff, but also eliminate their fears and worries by helping their families," said Zhang Wei, director of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, where Liu works.
   Wu Chongyang and Wang Pinghong, who both work at the hospital, are barely able to focus on their daughter as she prepares for the college entrance examination this year. Xiong Qiuyan, head teacher of her class, offers to tutor her via the Internet every day.
   "It seems that the entire society is caring for us. It gives us courage and strength in our fight against the novel coronavirus," said Liu.  Xinhua