"We have no complaints or regrets, because we are on the front line
rescuing lives from SARS."
Wearing layer after layer of gauze masks, Cui Jingjing, a senior
nurse from the prestigious Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, told
reporters her story in a husky voice.
On
April 29, Cui, was transferred along with her colleagues to the NO.
402 Hospital in the western suburbs of Beijing municipality.
The NO. 402 Hospital, which was not set up to specialize in
treating contagious diseases, has been restructured exclusively for
the intensive care of patients suffering from severe acute
respiratory syndrome (SARS).
Many doctors and nurses have been sent here from the Jishuitan
Hospital, Union Hospital, and Railway General Hospital as part of a
concerted campaign against the epidemic.
"At the beginning, I was a bit worried, but now I am getting used
to it," said Wang Xue, a young nurse who has worked in the hospital
for only a few days.
Wang, who graduated just last year, still looks very much like a
high school student.
"Two nurses will be on duty here, looking after 19 patients," she
said. "We draw blood from each patient, and when we finish the work
on the last patient, we need to go back to the first one and change
the transfusion bottle."
"We feel suffocated when we're working," Wang said candidly. The
nurses here have to wear three layers of special clothing, gloves,
and several gauze masks.
In
some wards, the nasty odor of disinfectants still permeates."
Sometimes it is really hard to breathe," she said.
Many nurses suffer husky voices from continuous shouting. There are
several doors separating the quarantine area from the safety area,
and electronic communications have not been installed yet.
"If a patient wants a jug of water, we have to shout at the topof
our voices to tell those outside the quarantine area," Wang said.
"We are under very heavy pressure."
"When we first arrived at this hospital, we worked for more than 30
straight hours," said Zhang Yi, another nurse.
Though wearing thick gloves and masks, the nurses manage to adhere
to strict protocols while also offering a friendly chat to ease
patients' psychological stress.
According to Tian Wei, president of the Jishuitan Hospital, stories
reflecting the sacrifice of the doctors and nurses are innumerable.
For instance, two young doctors in the hospital have postponed
their wedding because of their work fighting SARS.
Though very busy, Cai, like other mothers, still worries about her
own family. Facing the lens of a TV camera, Cui Jingjing offered
words of advice to her 14-year-old son Tao Zheng.
"Don't worry about Mum, listen to your Dad, and take good care of
your Grandma."
(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2003)