PD Editorial: Life supremacy shows humanity of China
People's Daily
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A video of medical workers saving a critically sick COVID-19 patient in Wuhan, central China's Hubei province, has gone viral on the Internet lately.

Having been put on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for 25 days and a ventilator for 50 days, the patient has been off the danger list after being treated successively by the medical workers from four provinces in China for over two months. "We will make every effort so that he could live," said the medical workers.

The treatment of patients in critical conditions demonstrates the results of combating COVID-19 and will influence people's confidence in the fight against the pandemic.

To save as many severely-hit patients in Hubei and Wuhan as possible, China has sent national experts to high-level hospitals to tailor remedies for the patients.

Nearly 70 percent of the over 2,500 confirmed cases above 80 years old in Wuhan have been cured, with the oldest being 108 years old.

The priority is to save lives. Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed from the very beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak that "people's safety and health always come first," adding that the prevention and control of the outbreak is the country's most important assignment for now.

Within two or three months, most provinces in China cleared all confirmed cases and reported no new cases. A total of more than 70,000 patients have been cured and discharged, quickly reversing the rapid spread of the epidemic. With a relatively high cure rate and low mortality rate, China has created a miracle in fighting major infectious diseases.

The country never gives up on any life and will put all efforts into saving lives, even when there is a slim chance of success. This is a vivid portrayal of the concept that people and life come first no matter what.

Nothing should get in the way of saving lives. To cut off the transmission of disease, the Chinese government imposed outbound travel restrictions on Wuhan and Hubei, at the cost of bogging down cities and hauling back the economy.

China has dispatched more than 340 medical teams and over 42,000 medical personnel from all over the country to assist Hubei province.

The top 10 academician teams and nearly one tenth of the critical medicine professionals in China have fought against the virus in the front line. With the concerted efforts of the nation, China has gathered its best forces to combat the epidemic.

It is through the unusually strong anti-epidemic measures and prompt treatment that the country has kept the promise of saving and respecting lives.

When it comes to saving lives, China will not mind the cost. On January 22, the Chinese government announced that COVID-19 patients and suspected cases did not need to bear the medical expenses in treating the disease.

Chinese authorities have provided fiscal support for treating patients with pneumonia promptly and provinces in China have increased the input into epidemic prevention.

Medical supplies including ventilators, protective clothing and ambulances, and all kinds of daily necessities such as grain, oil, vegetables and fruits have been allocated to Wuhan from across China.

Data speaks louder than anything else. The overall cure rate of COVID-19 patients in Wuhan has risen to 94 percent.

The per capita medical cost of confirmed inpatients reached 21,500 yuan, and the per capita treatment cost of severe patients exceeded 150,000 yuan, according to the National Healthcare Security Administration.

While part of the expenses will be covered by medical insurance, the rest will be paid by the government, including the expenses of a 70-year-old patient who were treated for nearly three months, put on ECMO twice and spent nearly 1.4 million yuan.

China has understood human rights that have actual effects on people's lives from the very beginning, noted John Ross, a British scholar as well as former Director of Economic and Business Policy of London, adding that amid a deadly disease, what matters most is not the rigid and superficial concept of human rights, but to keep people alive.

China has also assisted other countries in saving lives. Amid the global outbreak, China has provided assistance to countries and regions in need in the spirit of humanitarianism.

The Chinese government has sent or is sending necessary medical supplies to more than 150 countries and international organizations, and has dispatched 15 batches of medical teams to assist 16 countries.

Besides, it has donated $50 million to the World Health Organization (WHO) for pandemic prevention and supported other developing countries in controlling the epidemic and constructing health systems.

By donating medical supplies, dispatching medical teams and sharing anti-epidemic experience via videos, China has endeavored to help other countries, demonstrating humanitarianism and determination to build a community of a shared future for all mankind.

A country's attitude towards life in the face of a major crisis manifests its moral values. Since the People's Republic of China was founded over 70 years ago, the CPC and the Chinese government have always considered people's safety and health as a priority, whether faced with turbulent floods, tragic earthquakes or rampant epidemics.

This stems not only from the strong political consciousness of the CPC, but also from the unswerving loyalty and ruling philosophy that have been passed down among and adhered to by generations of CPC members.

On Tomb-Sweeping Day that falls on April 4 this year, China held national memorial services to mourn people who died of COVID-19.

"China mourns the victims of the novel coronavirus in the name of the country, which shows us the country's awe and respect for the dignity and lives of individuals as well as the unity and strength of 1.4 billion Chinese people," said a foreign embassy in China on Sina Weibo, a Chinese micro-blogging website.

By caring about, respecting and trying to save each individual, China is practicing humanitarianism amid the pandemic, communicating warmth to other countries and encouraging the global desire for solidarity.