Tong Zhaohui is seen at the critical care department at the Beijing Ditan Hospital in Beijing, capital of China, on Aug. 13, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei)
Tong is a vice president of Beijing Chao-yang Hospital and an expert of the National Health Commission medical treatment group. He was among the first batch of respiratory and critical illness experts who arrived in Wuhan to assist local doctors in their fight against COVID-19.
After three months of continuous work in Wuhan, he traveled to Heilongjiang, Jilin, Qingdao and Beijing to guide epidemic treatment, and saved a large number of critically ill patients' lives.
Tong was born in Hubei Province and studied in Wuhan when he was young. During his stay in Wuhan amidst the pandemic, he was too busy to spare time to visit his parents, who live in a two-hour drive away from Wuhan.
His mother, with full understanding of the nature of his profession, reassured him through Wechat that, "You are here to save and rescue the people in your hometown amid the pandemic. We will stay at home and not go out in order to reduce the risk. Please do not worry about us and focus on your work."
It is a daily routine for members of the expert team to check on dozens of critically ill patients and travel between numbers of hospitals in different areas during the pandemic. Tong once went to the Dabieshan Medical Center in Huanggang City for an inspection. He entered the quarantine wards at 10 a.m. and did not leave the wards until 6 p.m., treating more than 60 patients.
Tong has been working in the respiratory and critical care field for 32 years. Since he started working in the respiratory department, he has always been on the frontline to treat critically ill patients. Tong felt satisfied and happy each time he saved patients' lives. His dedication to saving lives serves as a role model for all doctors.
China set Aug. 19 as its Medical Workers' day to call for respect from society for the country's medical and health workers. To mark the 3rd Medical Workers' Day, Tong wrote down a message saying "respecting life is to rescue life."
