Over 4,000 PLA medical personnel working in Wuhan

The People's Liberation Army has dispatched over 4,000 medical personnel to aid epidemic control efforts in Wuhan since January 24, Major General Chen Jingyuan, the head of the Health Bureau of the Logistic Support Department of the Central Military Commission, said on Monday. 

The 63 designated hospitals operated by the military across the country have organized nearly 3,000 beds for patients and over 10,000 medical staff members are working on the frontline, he said during a news briefing in Beijing. 

As of Sunday, three such hospitals in Wuhan - the Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital, Taikang Tongji Hospital, and Fuyou Guanggu Hospital - had treated 3,467 patients in critical conditions, and 689 such patients had been cured. The Huoshenshan Hospital saw the highest number of recovered patients, 611 cases. 

In total, the military medical staff members have treated 4,450 patients, out of which 1,000 have been discharged after being cured, he said, adding no medical employee has been infected. 

As for medical supply, the PLA has allocated 400,000 medical face masks, 8,000 hazmat suits and other medical equipment to Wuhan. The military cargo planes of the PLA Air Force have made 30 trips to Wuhan transporting daily necessities. 

As of Sunday, the PLA Central Theater Command, which covers Hubei province, had dispatched 130 transport vehicles and 260 personnel dedicated to supplying Wuhan, transporting more than 8,500 metric tons of goods and 23,600 medical equipment. 

Around 200,000 militia members are working daily in 28 provinces to assist in their local area's prevention efforts, including documenting visitors, sanitizing environments, transporting goods and educating the public. 

The Academy of Military Medical Sciences, along with other research institutions, has jointly developed the nucleic acid diagnosis kit that has been used since late January. A more effective version was approved on Sunday and would soon enter clinical application, he said.