A total of 19 people from the first batch of medical workers dispatched from Maoming to combat the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei province returned home on March 22, while the remaining five members of the batch are still working at Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital.

All of the 19 medical workers are from four local hospitals, namely Maoming People's Hospital, Maoming Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Gaozhou People's Hospital, and Gaozhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, working in departments like respiratory, critical care, and infectious diseases.

The team departed to Hubei on Jan 28 to run the new wards of Hankou Hospital, one of the three earliest designated hospitals for receiving patients with the novel coronavirus pneumonia.

Maoming's first batch of medical workers dispatched to combat the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan departs on Jan 28. [Photo by Guan Jiayu/Guangzhou Daily]

The team has treated 175 patients, with its last patient being discharged on March 18.

"We were first depressed and anxious, yet all our members went all out to bring optimism to the patients," said Chen Chunjie, leader of Maoming's medical team to Hubei.

Cao Xinzhen, a nurse from Gaozhou People's Hospial, is among the five members who are still working at Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital. Cao noted that they will take care of themselves in Wuhan and keep on fighting until the last patient is cured.