By Roy Mabasa
A 12-man team of Chinese medical experts is arriving in Manila at 1 p.m. today, April 5, 2020, for a two-week mission to provide the Philippines with technical advice on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) control and prevention, the Chinese Embassy in Manila said in a statement.
While in the country, the Chinese medical team is expected to work closely with their counterparts at the Department of Health (DOH) by sharing their medical treatment experience in dealing with the COVID-19 that originated in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China.
The arrival of the Chinese medical team is made possible upon the invitation of the Philippine government through DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country.
As of Saturday, April 4, 2020, the Philippines posted a 3,094 total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases 3,094 with 144 deaths.
Below are the members of the Chinese medical team:
Mr. Zheng Huiwen Director-General Level Executive Official accompanying the Delegation
Mr. Weng Shangeng, Vice President, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University (FAHFMU)
Ms. Cai Xiaoying, Deputy Director Level Executive Official accompanying the Delegation
Mr. Zhuo Huichang, Associate Chief Physician, Critical Care Medicine, FAHFMU
Mr. Xiao Xiongjian Physician-in-Charge, Critical Care Medicine, FAHFMU
Ms. Li Hongru, Associate Chief Physician, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Fujian Provincial Hospital (FPH)
Mr. He Jinyi, Nurse, Hospital Infection Management Department, FPH
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)
Mr. Lin Guoqing, Associate Chief Physician, Internal medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine, FPHAFUTCM
Ms. Hou Yangqing, Nurse-in-Charge, Critical Care Medicine, FPHAFUTCM
Ms. Wu Bingshan, Deputy Director Technician, Microbiology Laboratory, Fujian Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (FPCDCP)
Mr. Cai Shaojian Associate Chief Physician, Infectious Disease Control, FPCDCP.
The Philippines is not the only country in the world seeking medical experts from China following the outbreak of the pandemic. Italy, the United Kingdom, and Laos are just some of the countries that sought Beijing’s assistance in fighting the spread of the disease in their respective countries.