File photo: CGTN

The hospitals in Central China's Wuhan are all battling a pneumonia outbreak caused by the new coronavirus, especially Jinyintan Hospital, the city’s largest specialized communicable disease hospital. Zhang Dingyu, the president of the hospital, who also suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), has spent more than 30 days battling on the front lines of the epidemic, and his spirit has touched people's hearts. Dong Qian, a reporter from CCTV, interviewed him.

Dong: What is the biggest challenge for you in this fight against the new coronavirus?

Zhang: The biggest challenge should be the mismatch between the surge of patients and our limited human resources.

D: What can you do?

Z: What I can do is to mobilize all of us to give up our weekends, because we must protect our city and the people living in Wuhan as we stand in the eye of the storm.

D: We all know that you are ill. What has changed in your mind since you told us this?

Z: I am now a little more relaxed. Many colleagues used to ask me about my abnormal gait, but now I can just explain I am a patient, which makes me feel more at ease.

D: Why did you choose not to say it before?

Z: Because it's privacy, just personal thing.

D: Why did you change your choice this time?

Z: Many medical teams including experts from Shanghai and Beijing came here. As we all know, when someone is ready to leave, as a courtesy, you are supposed to see them off. But I seldom do that because it’s very difficult for me to go down the stairs, which makes me feel uneasy. So I took this opportunity to tell the truth that it's not disrespect, but a burden for me. On the other hand, I also want to tell my colleagues that as long as we are able to do one thing toward the ultimate goal, we can then do something else too.

D: How do you accept this reality?

Z: I was scared at first because I take delight in my career and life. But suddenly someone told me that I won’t be around for too long.

D: How much time do you have?

Z: It may be about 10 years, but if not, it will be about 5 years.

D: Can you walk normally during this period?

Z: There's no guarantee how long I can walk, and there's no predictable indicators. That's why I always cherish every moment. So I am always willing to walk outside, and to be with you, the air and sunshine.

D: Speaking of this, even though I can't see your facial expression through the mask, I know your eyes are still smiling. How do you smile at such a serious topic?

Z: I can face it now, because I don't think it's such a terrible thing.

D: Isn't that terrible?

Z: The end of life is to face death, which is a very normal thing.

D: How can you still smile?

Z: But what will happen if I am not smiling? This is the thing everyone will encounter in the future, and I will also discuss it with my wife and daughter. Everybody needs to accept it, because it's part of life.

D: How long is “long-term”?

Z: Not only 5 years but also 10 years can be called long-term. Anyway, I'm sure to make some plans with my family. In fact, we thought this epidemic was a petty thing at first, but found it was the opposite. So that’s why I had said that I am not willing to make long-term preparations, only making arrangements step by step.

D: Do your colleagues understand you now?

Z: I told them, if allowed, I can work with you for another 4 years. That’s what I hope.

D: You are optimistic.

Z: I may indeed be optimistic. I’m not very optimistic either, but there are many things that you need to be optimistic about.

Aside: His wife was admitted to the hospital for isolation treatment for the virus. However, Zhang could not accompany his wife like other family members, and sometimes he could not even check on her for three or four days. Speaking of his ALS, Zhang didn't reveal the slightest fear. Bu on a drive to visit his wife, he cried with fear.

D: At the time I was driving and tears burst from my eyes. I didn’t dare tell her. After I parked the car, I went to the ward to accompany her. She was on an IV drip at the time, and I could not be with her. The most frightening thing in my heart was to lose her. I was thinking that I must not lose her, I must not lose her. It was the night that scared me most.

On the day of the interview, this reporter had a video call with Zhang's wife. She had just recovered and left the hospital the day before. When asked about her wishes, her answer was: I want to leave  with him together.

(Compiled by Wu qingyang and Chai Ruxin)