By Liang Qiwen (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-06-06 07:48

GUANGZHOU -- Hundreds of injured victims from quake-affected areas of Sichuan are receiving delicate medical care here and in several other cities of Guangdong province, but some of them are still suffering from psychological problems, psychologists in Guangzhou said.

Gao Ying, from Juyuan Middle School in Dujiangyan, lies in a hospital bed in Guangzhou Nanfang Hospital, Guangdong province. [China Daily]

Gao Ying, a 15-year-old girl from Dujiangyan, is staying at Guangzhou Nanfang Hospital.

Gao, a ninth-grader at Juyuan Middle School in Dujiangyan, was trapped under rubble for nearly 18 hours before she was rescued.

Many people in China know Gao's face, as she showed her smile to a press photographer when she was pulled out of the rubble.

However, her smile has disappeared now.

"She doesn't want to think of or talk about her future," Hong Jun, the director of the psychology department at Nanfang Hospital, told China Daily.

The hospital is attending to 49 injured victims from quake-affected areas. Twenty of them are suffering from psychological problems, Hong said.

They have different symptoms, such as depression, tension, anxiety and self-accusation, Hong said.

The Juyuan Middle School was one of the schools that suffered heavy casualties in the quake. Parents claim that the collapsed school buildings took the lives of around 900 students.

"Gao Ying is very lucky though," Gao Shanghong, the girl's father, said.

When the quake happened, Gao was in a class on the top floor of the school building. She was among the first found by rescuers.

Gao Ying said her class had more than 50 students; only 14 survived.

When she was trapped under the rubble, another three students were nearby.

"They supported each other by singing songs and telling stories," Gao Shanghong said. "They couldn't feel the pain at that time."

But after she was rescued, half of her lower legs had to be cut off as they were buried for a long time and the muscle tissue had died.

She was transferred to Nanfang Hospital on May 23.

"Doctors here are very professional, and the hospital has a lot of advanced medical facilities. We are satisfied with the treatment," Gao Shanghong said.

In the hospital, Gao Ying underwent several operations.

Her father said she is a good student, and would return to school after she recovers.

"I miss my classmates," Gao Ying said.

Hong Jun said they are offering one-on-one psychological counseling for all quake victims.

"Most of them have shown improvement," she said. "However, they probably will encounter more psychological problems when they leave the hospital and return to their normal lives, as they will have many challenges if they have become disabled or lost their families."

She said the hospital will try to follow up on then and hold regular reviews.

The first affiliated hospital of Guangzhou Medical College is attending to dozens of injured victims from earthquake affected areas.

Moreover, they invited 10 volunteers to talk to the victims regularly.

As of Sunday, Guangdong has received 947 injured victims from the earthquake areas.