CNBC:
How can we address the lack of medical supplies in hospitals, especially when there is an increasing number of infected patients? Thank you.
Ma Xiaowei:
To cope with the new coronavirus-related pneumonia, large numbers of medical staff are fighting at the front line day and night and sticking to their posts. Their jobs are very stressful, they are overloaded with work, and many also face the risk of infection. We want to pay great homage to their professional spirit of health care, which is embodied by the motto, "reverence for life, save the patient, dedication to devotion, and boundless love". At the same time, we are also very anxious and worried about the lack of medical resources in Wuhan, Hubei province. The National Health Commission supports and guides local health departments to coordinate the allocation of medical beds and other medical resources. As of last night, the allocation of medical resources in Wuhan had seen a clear improvement with an addition of 2,400 new beds in hospitals. More than 2,360 medical staff have also arrived in Wuhan from the military, and other regions of China. Over the next three days, Wuhan may also be able to offer nearly 5,000 additional medical beds. The shortage of medical resources and the overcrowding in hospitals will ease.
Wang Jiangping:
As I said earlier, the most daunting challenge is the severe shortage of protective suits in Wuhan. The daily demand for these suits now stands at 100,000 but only 13,000 suits are currently being produced each day. Previously, we were able to ensure that the demand for protective suits was met by dipping into our reserves. As a next step, we will do everything we can to ensure the needs of the front line are met. The first is to send all the protective suits in the central reserve to Wuhan. Second, materials will be sent there from other provinces and regions. With the emergency starting today, more than 10,000 sets were sent to Wuhan from surrounding areas and 220,000 pieces which were purchased abroad are also on the way. Third, we will deal with the issue of exports. Some of our protective suits made for export are not in line with Chinese standards. We will solve this problem so that these protective suits can be domestically deployed in stages so as to maximize the effectiveness of limited resources. Thank you.
