Medical equipment shortage in Hubei province relieved

A shortage of medical equipment needed for treating novel coronavirus pneumonia in Central China's Hubei province -- the epicenter of the outbreak -- has been greatly relieved, a senior official said at a news conference by the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council on Wednesday.

"At the very beginning, the province did face a short supply of medical facilities. But now, joint efforts have ensured supplies of medical equipment and the supplies have met the demands in all medical units, including hospitals and isolation areas," said Mao Qunan, director of the National Health Commission's Planning Department.

The commission also has worked hard to make sure hospitals in Wuhan have enough advanced medical facilities to treat critically-ill patients, including life-support machines, mobile CT units, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECOM), and mobile P3 laboratories.

The commission called for help from medical institutes across the country and also purchased new equipment from abroad. Medical workers aiding the province also have brought with them equipment from their hospitals.

"We first contacted hospitals affiliated to the commission, transporting 10 ECMOs to Wuhan," he said. "But facilities were still short at the time. We then sought help from provincial-level governments, who themselves also faced difficulties treating the patients," he said.

"The local government raced against the clock to assist Wuhan by giving their medical facilities without hesitation, which helped meet the city's demand in quite a short time."

In recent days, 67 ECMOs have been transported to Wuhan, including 16 transported from Germany to Wuhan in just 15 hours on Feb 27.

The use of ECMOs has played an important role in saving the lives of patients in critical conditions, he said.