Cross-border cooperation tackles COVID-19

Editor's Note: Medical professionals from the mainland have recently arrived home after assisting with the response to the fifth wave of the disease in Hong Kong. Below, we tell the stories of three of them.

Luo Yanling had dealt with numerous requests from patients over the years. Recently, though, she received a special request－a 91-year-old COVID-19 patient wanted to take a photo with her as a reminder of the care she had received.

The experienced nurse was one of the hundreds of medical workers from the Chinese mainland who helped Hong Kong overcome the worst wave of the epidemic.

From March, they worked at a community treatment facility at the AsiaWorld-Expo complex on the island of Chek Lap Kok, caring for COVID-19 patients, mostly seniors.

During one morning shift, Luo nursed an elderly patient and reminded her to take her medicines.

The woman noticed the name tag on Luo's protective suit, and after a brief conversation she learned that Luo comes from her own hometown, Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province.

While holding Luo's hand, the patient recalled her childhood memories of Guangzhou. She invited Luo to have dim sum with her in the city when the epidemic is over and cross-border travel resumes.

She also took a photo of the two of them, and with Luo's help sent it to her two daughters. The woman told her children not to worry about her because the nurses were looking after her well.

Luo's eyes filled with tears. She said that if her mother had been infected and taken to the hospital, she would also have been worried.

As a senior nurse, Luo has worked in the cardiology department of the Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital for 18 years and has treated many elderly patients.

The wealth of experience she has gained during that time helped her deal with some of the more serious situations at the isolation facility.

One day, an elderly patient suddenly felt acute chest pains. Luo immediately checked the vital signs and contacted the nearby North Lantau Hospital. The patient was taken to the hospital just 10 minutes later.

Patience was required when taking care of seniors, Luo said. For example, a 91-year-old patient refused to eat or take medication. Luo stood at her side, held her hand and explained that such behavior would harm her recovery.

Eventually, a doctor directed Luo to feed the patient via a gastric tube.

However, Luo thought this would cause great harm, so she tried to encourage the patient to eat to help regain her strength.

After they had chatted for about 90 minutes, the patient agreed to eat the food.

Hong Kong's epidemic situation has improved a lot, so many patients have been discharged from the Asia-World-Expo complex.

When she left the facility, the senior from Guangzhou asked Luo to take another photo with her.

While working in Hong Kong for more than a month, Luo missed her son very much and called him every day. She said her little boy was very proud of her role in Hong Kong's fight against COVID-19.

Due to the heavy workload, Luo has had little time to spend with her son in the past two years.

Now her mission has come to an end and she has returned to Guangzhou, she is determined to spend more time with her son and take him many places.