Chongqing sends medical staff, oranges to aid epidemic control in Hubei

CHONGQING - Southwest China's Chongqing municipality has sent over 300 medical workers, four medical vehicles and 25,000 kg of oranges to help fight the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic in Hubei.

Four batches of medical staff totaling 318 critical care and respiratory specialists from Chongqing's top hospitals have been summoned and sent to the cities of Wuhan and Xiaogan since late January, according to the local health commission.

Four medical vans with different functions of outpatient service, special examination, drug and devices, and power supply have been sent to Hubei, said Xing Dianguo with the commission.

More medical staff will be dispatched to Hubei's Yichang city soon, following a national "pairing-up support for Hubei" policy, which orders 16 municipalities and provinces to aid cities in Hubei, Xing said.

On Sunday, 2,500 kg of fresh navel oranges harvested in Chongqing's Fengjie county arrived in Wuhan.

The vitamin-rich oranges will be given out to frontline medical staff, said Xiao Gongxun, director of Fengjie's orange industry development center.

Xiao said the batch of fruit worth 250,000 yuan (about $36,000) was donated by 11 growers and dealers, and picked, cleaned and packaged within two days thanks to local volunteer farmers and residents wanting to help.