Hunan steps up aid in virus-battered city near Wuhan

CHANGSHA - Central China's Hunan province has sent hundreds of medical workers to help fight the novel coronavirus epidemic in the city of Huanggang, one of the hardest-hit cities in Hubei province.

As of Sunday, Huanggang near the provincial capital of Wuhan had reported 2,252 confirmed cases and 45 deaths.

According to Hunan's health commission, two batches of 274 medical personnel have begun working in Huanggang, as a national "pairing-up support for Hubei" policy has ordered a dozen municipalities and provinces to aid cities in Hubei.

Zeng Puhua, vice president of the affiliated hospital of Hunan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, has been working around the clock in the SARS treatment-model hospital of Huanggang since late January.

"The daily number of confirmed cases remains high here. The medical staff change shifts every six hours, and each doctor is in charge of seven to 10 patients," Zeng said.

"Previous clinical experience has proven that traditional Chinese medicine plays an active and effective role in the treatment of pneumonia-related epidemics," Zeng said.

Three patients receiving integrated treatment of traditional Chinese and Western medicine were discharged on Feb 7.

A total of 757 medical personnel from Hunan have joined the epidemic fight in Hubei so far, the provincial health commission said.