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April 26, 2022

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Home » District » Jing'an

Life in a makeshift hospital

Source: Shanghai Daily | 00:05 UTC+8 April 26, 2022 | Print Edition

For one-year-old Tongtong, her first birthday was special. It was celebrated in a makeshift hospital at Jing’an Sports Center with dabai, a nickname for medical staff, community workers and volunteers in white protective suits who work on the front line to nip the coronavirus in the bud.

The special birthday party was held at 6pm on April 15, two days after she and her father were sent to the site. The medical staff prepared her birthday cake, wrote best wishes on their protective suits and even organized the traditional zhuazhou ceremony.

In China, zhuazhou is one of the most important customs for a child’s first birthday celebration. Traditionally, the family would present an assortment of items such as a book, pen, coin, toy, ruler and jewelry for the baby to choose from. The selected item is believed to indicate his or her future inclination and profession.

Tongtong grabbed a medical record card. It surprised everyone. “I guess she would become a medical worker when she grows up. And I hope so,” her father Liu Lei said.

He believed it was fate. According to Liu, his wife became sick when she was pregnant with Tongtong, and after the baby was born she needed more surgery. So, she couldn’t accompany them to the makeshift hospital.

“My wife asked me several days ago to celebrate Tongtong’s birthday. But I didn’t want to bother the medical staff. I had thought it would be great if they could prepare birthday noodles. I didn’t expect such a big surprise,” he said.

“In fact, I was very twitchy about taking Tongtong to the makeshift hospital. But the medical staff were so considerate, and they eased my concerns,” he added.

Fifteen-year-old Liu Xuanling was another popular figure at the makeshift hospital site.

She came from Zhejiang Province to do her entrance exams for Shanghai Conservatory of Music. But she and her grandparents tested positive for COVID-19 and were sent to the hospital on April 4.

During quarantine, she has practiced every day and her ethereal melodies have cheered many people. She was also invited to attend Shanghai Daily’s online concert “The Sound of Shanghai.”

Due to the pandemic, the exam was switched to online mode. To help her successfully attend the exam on April 8, Jing’an police officer Zhang Bin inspected every corner of the hospital to find her a proper location, one bathed in sunlight where she would not disturb others, or be disturbed.

“They are guests to Shanghai. I hope her dream can come true, and I hope the family can recover as soon as possible,” he said.

Liu tried a “simulated test” that morning, and attended the actual test at 2pm. One dabai was there to maintain order and prevent anyone walking around to disturb her.

At 3:34pm, officer Zhang received a WeChat voice message from Liu who said: “I’ve finished the exam. It went well.”

Zhang said: “Shanghai is a warm city. The haziness of COVID-19 will surely be dispelled, and life will go on.” He hopes Liu’s story can give a powerful lift to others.

Among other people in the makeshift hospital, Liu Qiang has become one of Liu Xuanling’s fans.

The community worker was infected with the virus while at work. But as a marathon enthusiast, he just couldn’t stop running. He ran along an empty corridor every day, and befriended the young violinist. “Both of us were trapped. But we tried to stay positive,” he said.

Over 15 days, he has run 170 kilometers at the site, and shared his experiences on social media, inspiring many people. He has also befriended other running enthusiasts at the site, including a Taiwanese who married a Shanghai woman.

“We’ve exchanged our contact information, and decided to run together along Suzhou Creek after the lockdown is fully lifted,” he said.

Jing'an


 

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