Dr. Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan
Regional Geopolitical Analyst & Member Board of Experts, Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad
Deadly Coronavirus is on the decline in China but unfortunately, is on the rise in the world. The government of China is a “responsible country” has now unconditionally offered to share its success experiences, effective means, modern techniques, best medical facilities, skilled staff and artificial intelligence technologies with the rest of the world to save the globe from this coronavirus epidemic. In the connection, China has already sent medical teams to many countries especially Italy to help fight the pandemic.
China’s Global
Fight against Coronavirus
China has now started sending medical teams to help other countries fight the coronavirus pandemic. Beijing has exported teams of medical experts to Italy, Iraq, Iran and other places, as well as donated US$20 million to the World Health Organisation (WHO) to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. The government of China has also sent volunteer doctors, ventilators, and other critical medical equipment to Italy after the country asked China for help. Chinese teams are also in Iran and Iraq to help manage the outbreak.
The Chinese plane took off from the Shanghai Pudong International Airport carrying 31 tons of medical materials, including equipment for intensive care and medical protection materials to Italy. On the diplomatic front, Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi called to Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and showed the Chinese government a strong commitment to send medical personnel and materials to help Italy immediately.
Help to Overseas Chinese
To assist struggling overseas Chinese mainly living in EU, another cargo plane loaded with 3.86 million pieces of disposable masks, N95 respirators, goggles, latex gloves, and other protective clothing left East China’s Zhejiang Province for Italy to help overseas Chinese in Italy fight the novel coronavirus.
Online Consultations
Most recently, experts from Wuhan Tongji Hospital shared their valuable expertise with doctors from Nicuarda Hospital in Milan, Italy, the experience of treating COVID-19 patients in Wuhan via video conference. In the over one-hour exchange, Wuhan experts shared in detail the key points of prevention and control, the protective measures of medics and the Tongji treatment plan for patients.
Composition of Experts
The expert group was led by a vice president of the Red Cross Society of China and an expert from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Five other experts from Sichuan Province were also appointed to participate. Moreover, the five experts included two medical experts from West China Hospital of Sichuan University. All the experts will mainly provide professional guidance. Chinese head nurse of the Pediatric Section at the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital, said they will also share their experience in treating critical patients in the ICU.
Chinese Vital
Support to Georgia
Chinese have immense human values and it can be seen through their immediate response to help Italy and others. West China Hospital of Sichuan University has donated two constant temperature amplification nucleic acid analyzers and nucleic acid detection kits for 1,000 people to the Georgian government. Chinese transcontinental gestures of help to other countries in the fight against Covid-19 epidemic have now got momentum.
The kit in the form of a chip can detect six respiratory viruses simultaneously. The total value of these supplies amounting to 3.8 million yuan.
Chinese Diversified
but Integrated Efforts
The Chinese Foreign Ministry, the National Health Commission and the Red Cross have held numerous video conferences with health experts and government officials from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Italy, and 10 Pacific island to share China’s anti-epidemic experience. The government of China has also appreciated the positive role of the Pakistani government and its people in its times of national crisis.
Worldwide Publication
of Chinese Guidelines
Furthermore, China has published seven guidelines on COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment and six guidelines on prevention and control, all of which have been translated into multiple foreign languages. According to the National Health Commission (March 10, 2020), China has so far shared such epidemic prevention and treatment guidelines with more than 100 countries and over 10 international and regional organizations around the world.
Chinese National Health
Commission latest report
(March 12, 2020)
According to Chinese National Health Commission latest report (March 12, 2020) more than 20 technical exchanges have been held between China and those countries and organizations through teleconferences and other means to share China’s anti-epidemic experiences in a timely and effective manner.
Meanwhile, since March 7, China has sent several teams consisting of voluntary medical experts to Iran, Iraq, and Italy to support local epidemic prevention and control. China has also provided some countries with detection kits and donated anti-epidemic supplies through the Red Cross and other channels.
Chinese Global
Supplies & COVID-19
China’s Regional Assistance
According to latest official reports (March 15, 2020), the Chinese government has donated 1.1 million masks and other medical materials to the Republic of Korea, a batch of detection kits, 5,000 sets of protective suits and 100,000 masks to Japan, and 5,000 detection kits and 250,000 masks to Iran, as well as 12,000 detection kits to Pakistan. Chinese foreign ministry is doing a great job to mitigate all western propaganda through sincere efforts, uncensored data sharing and above all sharing and offering unconditional regional as well as international cooperation to fight against COVID-19.
Right from the beginning, the Chinese government and its all associated organs and organizations have been opened and transparent having a high sense of responsibility for global public health security and people’s well-being. In this connection, China has already shown the highest level of seriousness and functional readiness to collaborate with other countries in medicines, vaccines and testing reagents, contributing China’s wisdom and proposals to securing an early global victory over the virus.
Valuable Contribution
of Chinese Non-Governmental
Organizations
From the Chinese government to its non-governmental organizations (NGOs) everybody is trying its best to help hard-hit regions across the world to combat the epidemic. The Alibaba Foundation and Jack Ma Foundation have donated millions of masks and other medical supplies to hard-hit countries such as Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Iran. Ma said on the Chinese social media platform of Weibo that the two foundations will donate another 1.8 million masks and 100,000 testing reagents to Italy, Spain and some other European countries that have seen rising cases of COVID-19. Jack Ma Foundation has also allocated a scientific research fund of 100 million yuan about 14.29 million U.S. dollars to support Chinese and overseas research institutes to expedite the creation of a vaccine against COVID-19.
Moreover, Alibaba Group announced that free access would be offered to its artificial intelligence computing power for public research institutions around the world to develop COVID-19 vaccines and new drugs.
Notable Global Efforts
Chinese embassies around the globe and especially in Italy and Japan have introduced free online medical consultation services at Alibaba Health to assist overseas Chinese. East China’s Zhejiang Province is home to over 2 million overseas Chinese all over the world, half of whom are in European countries. In this regard, the internet hospital platform of Zhejiang launched health consultation services for overseas Chinese on March 10, 2020. Nearly 70 hospitals at the platform provide services for overseas Chinese in hard-hit countries, including psychological counselling assistance.
Zhejiang has also launched such services on China’s social media platforms. Wencheng County has set up 24 WeChat groups to provide health consultation services to more than 10,000 overseas Chinese. Chinese medical doctors have also reached out to help overseas Chinese that are stranded in European countries through WeChat counselling.
Chinese Gigantic Response
against (COVID-19) & Lessons
for the World
Preemptive Measures: (Ideal partnership between the government & public to take the cheapest measures in terms of social distancing, public awareness, self-checking of body temperatures before going to schools, offices or factories etc.
Centralized Command Center (Integration of the national health insurance, immigration and customs databases to generate data to trace people’s travelling and to take all possible measures).
Administrative Measures (Bold and big decisions are immediately required to survive against this deadly coronavirus). Lockdown of Wuhan City was a bold step which has now proved correct. Closing of schools, colleges, universities, vocational centers, cancellation of public gatherings, conferences, seminars, expos etc. proved effective and instrumental).Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea and even Japan followed the Chinese model which is now paying its dividends. Use Technology to Track Cases (Chinese public health model has pioneered in introducing the latest artificial intelligence technologies against coronavirus pandemic).
Conclusion
The Chinese government has declared “initial victory” against coronavirus in the country. Although it is a small step towards the complete eradication of this deadly virus it has multiplier effects because our survival on this planet is interconnected and interdependent.
China is a superpower and responsible country has now promised and pledged diversified but integrated facilities to the regional as well as international countries and international organizations to fight against widespread COVID-19 in the world. In this connection, China has already dispatched more than 35 tons of medicines, masks, medical equipment, doctors, nurses and experts to Italy, Iran, Iraq and many other countries. It has already shared its successful experiences with more than 100 countries around the globe to fight against COVID-19. Its foreign ministry has been making bridges of trust, cooperation, coordination and collaborations with the rest of the world. Its National Health Commission has been disseminating uncensored data about COVID-19. Its hospitals, medical universities, paramedical staff and last but not least, its NGOs are acting like an angel of God to educate, help and assist the needy people.
Since our pains, grieves and human traits are similar, so all of us shouldn’t stigmatize any specific Chinese city (Wuhan coronavirus) or policy to fight against COVID-19. Regional economies, as well as global economy, are now under great stress and an acute chance of recession is very high. It is therefore in the interest of all of us to work jointly for the early eradication of this deadly coronavirus.
