Family dies, but doctor presses on
Source: Xinhua |
April 20, 2010, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
DR Nyima Tsering finished yet another operation before rushing to a mass funeral on Saturday at Gyegu Monastery, where his seven relatives lay dead.
The fatigue on the doctor's face instantly gave way to grief when he saw the photos of two sisters, three nieces, a nephew and an aunt - all dead. His closest family.
Nyima Tsering's parents died when he was a child and he was brought up by his two sisters. The 43-year-old wept uncontrollably in his first open expression of anguish since the 7.1-magnitude quake struck Qinghai Province.
The quake, which shook the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu at 7:49am last Wednesday, killed 1,706 people and injured more than 12,000 as of Sunday.
When the quake hit, Nyima Tsering, a surgeon, was exercising at King Gesar's Square in the heart of Yushu. When he realized what had happened, he got up and ran all the way to the hospital. Dozens of injured were already waiting for help.
Shortly after he started working, his only surviving relative - a nephew - called and told him the whole family had been buried when their home collapsed. The young man was outside washing his car at the time, escaping death unlike the others.
"The hospital had never been so crowded ... but there were not enough doctors," said Nyima Tsering.
So he stayed until more doctors were called in at 10am.
Then he rushed home and, without tools, used his hands to remove the rubble. His fingers were bleeding but he couldn't reach or hear anyone. When he heard cries for help from the ruins of his neighbor's house, he did not hesitate. A little girl was saved because of his actions.
Nyima Tsering went back to work in the hospital as soon as rescuers arrived and began searching for his family amidst the debris. "I couldn't do anything there. The patients needed me."
For nearly 72 hours after the quake, he did not lie down to rest. "When I was told my seven relatives were all dead, I thought I was dreaming, and feared I might go insane if I thought too much about it. So I worked really hard and tried to forget the pain."
Nyima Tsering did not think he was a hero. "I just did my job. I was trained to save lives."
The fatigue on the doctor's face instantly gave way to grief when he saw the photos of two sisters, three nieces, a nephew and an aunt - all dead. His closest family.
Nyima Tsering's parents died when he was a child and he was brought up by his two sisters. The 43-year-old wept uncontrollably in his first open expression of anguish since the 7.1-magnitude quake struck Qinghai Province.
The quake, which shook the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu at 7:49am last Wednesday, killed 1,706 people and injured more than 12,000 as of Sunday.
When the quake hit, Nyima Tsering, a surgeon, was exercising at King Gesar's Square in the heart of Yushu. When he realized what had happened, he got up and ran all the way to the hospital. Dozens of injured were already waiting for help.
Shortly after he started working, his only surviving relative - a nephew - called and told him the whole family had been buried when their home collapsed. The young man was outside washing his car at the time, escaping death unlike the others.
"The hospital had never been so crowded ... but there were not enough doctors," said Nyima Tsering.
So he stayed until more doctors were called in at 10am.
Then he rushed home and, without tools, used his hands to remove the rubble. His fingers were bleeding but he couldn't reach or hear anyone. When he heard cries for help from the ruins of his neighbor's house, he did not hesitate. A little girl was saved because of his actions.
Nyima Tsering went back to work in the hospital as soon as rescuers arrived and began searching for his family amidst the debris. "I couldn't do anything there. The patients needed me."
For nearly 72 hours after the quake, he did not lie down to rest. "When I was told my seven relatives were all dead, I thought I was dreaming, and feared I might go insane if I thought too much about it. So I worked really hard and tried to forget the pain."
Nyima Tsering did not think he was a hero. "I just did my job. I was trained to save lives."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
