Nurse reminisces about 'Chinese speed' in earthquake relief

Ma Xiuying, a national legislator and a nurse of Jishishan county in Gansu province, shared her memories of taking part in providing medical aid after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked the county last year, at the delegates' passage interviews on Monday.

Ma, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress, said when the earthquake struck last winter, she hastily took her child to hide in the bathroom.

"Over 600 medical personnel in Jishishan promptly engaged in the rescue work within half an hour after the disaster," she said. Ma said she and her colleagues used smart phones for illumination, busying themselves arranging patients and rescuing the injured.

Among the patients treated by Ma was a little girl who arrived with a head injury, "her face was covered in blood and body covered in dirt".

After careful treatment, the child quickly recovered. On the day of discharge, she hugged Ma and said when she grew up, she would become a doctor just like Ma. "At that moment, I suddenly felt that the busy nights after the earthquake were all worthwhile," Ma said.

With rescue teams arriving successively before dawn, damaged roads became cleared and supplies from various places were delivered to the county, Ma said. "Tents were set up, and there was steaming beef noodles to eat," she said.

Ma said she has witnessed the "Chinese speed" racing against time and struggling against severe cold.

"As a participant in the earthquake relief work, I feel fortunate and proud of living in the country filled with love and strength. Comfort comes after hardship, and the spring of Jishishan is bound to be full of vitality," she said.