Scenes from Huoshenshan and Leishenshan2020.06.22

In the blink of an eye, Huoshenshan (Fire God Mountain) Hospital and Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital sprung up, and the isolation wards and Fangcang makeshift hospitals were set up in the race against the coronavirus epidemic. At this crucial juncture, nearly 76,000 construction workers in Hubei worked around the clock and forged forward bravely in the fight against the epidemic, building a strong wall fending off viruses. They were working hand in hand with the medical staff in the endeavor of protecting people’s lives. They’re now reputed as the unsung heroes in the anti-coronavirus war.

Heroes in Harm’s Way

From the end of January to the beginning of February, 2020, over 110 designated hospitals, makeshift hospitals, and quarantine centers were built or renovated in Hubei over the short span of a month, and Wuhan alone was equipped with more than 60,000 new hospital beds. In the trying times, the invincible People’s Liberation Army of China (the PLA), rose up to the challenge.

At the beginning of February when Huoshenshan Hospital and Leishenshan Hospital were put into use, many workers chose to stay there for the smooth running of the two hospitals. You could imagine how dangerous it was for them to maintain the facilities inside the wards.

On the night of February 4, the maintenance team from China Construction Third Engineering Bureau received an order to inspect the water heaters in the inpatient wards of Huoshenshan Hospital. The water heater room was located in the “Red Zone,” also known as the contaminated zone in the hospital. At 2:00 am, Wang Ye, a worker, volunteered to repair it. With the help of the medical staff, Wang Ye put on a protective suit, reached the room and conducted a thorough inspection of the power supply. When the work was done, he took off his protective suit with the help of a nurse, and left the zone after taking a shower. Then, he went through several gateways and returned to the office zone safe and sound. “I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t scared, but I have no time for fear when I’m at work,” Wang Ye said.

On March 29, 39-year-old Lyu Wentao, who was in charge of electrical welding and floor repair, had already participated in the construction and maintenance of the two hospitals for 64 consecutive days. He’s always around wherever he’s needed. He still remembered the first time he entered the isolation ward. He couldn’t help feeling nervous even though he was wearing a protective suit. “When I saw that the doctors and nurses were busy with their work, I told myself that I ought to follow suit,” said Lyu Wentao. He wanted to make his contribution to the smooth running of the hospital. Also, he became a temporary barber for his workfellows in his free time, for they hadn’t had a haircut for quite a long time.

On February 18, Li Yulin left Huangshi for Leishenshan Hospital and his duty was to perform disinfection for the maintenance workers three times a day. He has been working there for over 41 days straight. Every day, when the maintenance workers were off duty for meals, he would hold up a can and spray the disinfectants on them from head to toe, to protect them from COVID-19.

“It may seem like easy work, but it means a lot to me,” said Li Yulin, “It is really important to ensure the safety of my fellow workers.”

“On February 14, it snowed heavily in Wuhan. Four of my brothers and I had been working in Leishenshan Hospital for 48 consecutive hours,” said Xu Qiyi from Shiyan City. At the beginning of this February, Xu Qiyi, his cousin, two brothers, and his brother-in-law were all involved in the construction of Leishenshan Hospital. After the construction was done, they stayed there and took care of the roof. In severe weather, such as heavy snow or pouring rain, they would climb up the roof and guard against any incoming damage.

In the busy hours, there were 494 workers working in the two hospitals with the medical staff. They were actively involved in responding to the needs of the hospital and medical staff, completing up to more than 600 repair tasks in a day, and thus ensuring the smooth operation of the hospital.

A Guardian of Workers’ Health

Here is the schedule for the workers from China Construction Third Engineering Bureau in a medical observation area:

They live in single rooms equipped with a bed, quilts, daily necessities, heaters, and anti-coronavirus materials; hot meals, fruit, and milk are delivered to the room; all-round disinfection in the corridor, room, and toilet are conducted; health records are established for each worker, and body temperatures are checked and recorded in a timely manner…

Zhang Hua, deputy secretary of the project’s Party branch, stays at the observation site all day long and works as a purchaser, messenger, as well as a temporary doctor and psychological consultant.

Once, a worker had an onset of hypertension. With the broken pieces of the pill box from the worker, it took Zhang Hua nearly 12 hours finding the right medicine. “If workers with high blood pressure can’t take medicine in time, they may easily end up with a stroke. Life is not easy for them, so I try my best to make sure that they’re healthy.” said Zhang Hua.

Fully aware that the workers are homesick, Zhang Hua is busy with WeChat group counseling, singling out over 100 books and magazines, such as Shanghai Story, Stories, and Jinguchuanqi (Ancient and Modern Legends) on the lobby shelves, and improving the Wi-Fi signals so that workers are able to conduct a smooth video chat with their families and friends.

We are told that China Construction Third Engineering Bureau set up 36 observation sites. Over 300 management staff are engaged in providing 24/7 service for 2,489 workers of both hospitals.

Gao Yuanchao, a competent ELV electrician, is from Xinzhou District in Wuhan. He has two school-age children, and his wife had a tumor surgery just before the spring festival. He could barely make ends meet while being unemployed during the coronavirus outbreak. Upon receiving the invitation from an ELV subcontractor unit under the China Construction Third Engineering Bureau, he rushed to the site, and he was assigned to install and commission networks, webcams, and other ELV equipment. Considering his current situation, the China Construction Third Engineering Bureau has listed him as a couplet-assistance target, and offered him a job in the bureau when the lockdown ended.

Safety Is the Top Priority

On March 22, after receiving the last safe call, Zhang Hua was fully relieved. At that point, 179 construction workers of the two hospitals under her supervision had all returned home safe and sound.

“Your villagers have participated in construction work, and we’re in charge of their health observation. Their medical results turned out to be normal, so please help them with the proof of receipt. We’ll try our best to make sure that the workers return home quickly.” Zhang Hua added the village directors as her WeChat friends, and in the 43 days working in the observation site, she’s been coordinating with them regarding the nucleic acid test reports and medical observation reports of the workers.

On March 20, the workers of the two hospitals finished their quarantine. Zheng Xiaoyong from the Infrastructure Engineering Unit of the Second Construction Company of China Construction Third Engineering Bureau drove over 1,200 kilometers, sending the ten-odd workers in Wuhan back to their home one by one—to ensure the safe return of the workers.

On the early morning of March 29, several private cars filled up their gas tanks and lined evenly at the project site of the Steel Structure Unit of China Construction Third Engineering Bureau in Dongxihu District, Wuhan. Twelve workers participating in the construction of Leishenshan Hospital had finished their quarantine for medical observation, and were ready to return home. “Please do not drive when tired! Share your location in a timely manner! Don’t forget to drop us a message when you arrive home!” said the director Zhong Xinguo, while handing out the printed certifications for observation discharge, reports of nucleic acid test, proof of receipt, and some snacks, like instant noodles, bread, and water, as well as 500 yuan. The 12 workers were from Guizhou, Liaoning, Shandong, Henan, and other provinces. They were the last group of workers in the company participating in the construction of Leishenshan Hospital to be back to their hometown. Director Zhong Xinguo escorted them in person all the way to the West Wuhan Expressway Toll Station.

Translation: Zhu Yaguang, Special Focus

By Zhang Qianqian, Cheng Wanru, Zhu Junwei & Wang Teng