(image from the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines Facebook page)

The Chinese Embassy in Manila announced yesterday that a 12-member medical team from China will arrive in Manila on Sunday, March 5, at 1 p.m. to assist the country in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“They are good at both traditional Chinese and Western medicine, involving COVID-19 treatment, testing, disease control and other aspects, and will practically share the ‘China experience’ in the fight against COVID-19,” the embassy said in a statement.

Acting upon the request of the Philippine government, the medical contingent will give “technical guidance” and share their medical know-how in battling the surge in COVID-19 cases.

The medical group is made up of 12 top Chinese doctors and nurses with competence in the medical fields of respiratory infection disease control and prevention, critical care medicine and even traditional Chinese medicine.

The 12 members will come from the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fujian People’s Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Fujian Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Name list of the Chinese Medical Expert Team:

  1. Mr. Zheng Huiwen Director-General Level Executive Official accompanying the Delegation
  2. Mr. Weng Shangeng Vice President, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University (FAHFMU)
  3. Ms. Cai Xiaoying Deputy Director Level Executive Official accompanying the Delegation
  4. Mr. Zhuo Huichang Associate Chief Physician, Critical Care Medicine, FAHFMU
  5. Mr. Xiao Xiongjian Physician-in-Charge, Critical Care Medicine, FAHFMU
  6. Ms. Li Hongru Associate Chief Physician, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Fujian Provincial Hospital (FPH)
  7. Mr. He Jinyi – Nurse, Hospital Infection Management Department, FPH
  8. Ms. Ye Ling – Chief Physician, Clinical Integration of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine (respiratory), Fujian People’s Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (FPHAFUTCM)
  9. Mr. Lin Guoqing – Associate Chief Physician, Internal medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine, FPHAFUTCM
  10. Ms. Hou Yangqing – Nurse-in-Charge, Critical Care Medicine, FPHAFUTCM
  11. Ms. Wu Bingshan – Deputy Director Technician, Microbiology Laboratory, Fujian Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (FPCDCP)
  12. Mr. Cai Shaojian – Associate Chief Physician, Infectious Disease Control, FPCDCP

On March 21, the Philippines received from China a donation of thousands of surgical masks, personal protective equipment and test kits.

Accommodations and translators for the medical contingent are now being prepared by the Department of Health.  (Jojo Mangahis)