• "However, once the curtain of this coronavirus incident falls, it may be hard to find me. I'll just hide myself in a corner, studying complicated patient cases and doing some reading, silently," he said.
• Zhang's words first went viral on the internet after he said in late January that he had dispatched doctors and nurses who are members of the Communist Party of China to the front-line hospital to treat coronavirus cases.
• "When becoming CPC members, we vowed that we would always prioritize people's interests and press forward in the face of difficulties," Zhang said. "This is the moment we live up to the pledge. All CPC members must rush to the front line. No bargaining."
Zhang Wenhong talks about his insights on the control of the novel coronavirus pneumonia. [Gao Erqiang/China Daily]
A drawing depicting doctor Zhang Wenhong wearing a mask and a white medical suit while giving a warning to Shanghai residents has circulated widely on social platforms this week.
In the picture, hand-drawn by netizens, Zhang warns in Shanghai dialect: "If you don't stop seeing friends, you will see them again in the ICU."
It was an epitome of the funny language style and medical professionalism of Zhang, leader of the Shanghai team of experts in the treatment of novel coronavirus cases and director of the department of infectious diseases at Shanghai Huashan Hospital Affiliated with Fudan University.
Zhang, who has been dubbed "Dad Zhang for Shanghai", described himself as a medical worker who must speak out but will return to keeping a low profile after the outbreak ends.
"I spoke because of the fear among the public, owing to limited knowledge of the contagion. People, however strong, have become fragile in the face of such an epidemic, and this is the time when doctors and nurses must be strong," said Zhang during an exclusive interview with China Daily on Wednesday.
"However, once the curtain of this coronavirus incident falls, it may be hard to find me. I'll just hide myself in a corner, studying complicated patient cases and doing some reading, silently," he said.
Zhang's words first went viral on the internet after he said in late January that he had dispatched doctors and nurses who are members of the Communist Party of China to the front-line hospital to treat coronavirus cases.
"When becoming CPC members, we vowed that we would always prioritize people's interests and press forward in the face of difficulties," Zhang said. "This is the moment we live up to the pledge. All CPC members must rush to the front line. No bargaining."
Such a hard-core declaration of his attitude won wide applause among netizens.
"What one sticks to unswervingly is witnessed more in a critical situation. Nothing could win more recognition from the people than the down-to-earth behavior of the CPC members," said Yang Haiyan, a 32-year-old Shanghai resident.
Chased by media and netizens, he not only shared information about the virus and precautionary measures but also some of his life experiences.
"When you read more, you know more, and you'll be kind to people with less work experience and power. You'll think about pains and gains from their perspectives," Zhang said.
What made you become a celebrity for the time being?
This is how we work in Huashan Hospital: being frank and straightforward. We feel for others and enjoy the feeling of having no need to defend ourselves against one another.
I, in particular, stand against being hypocritical. I'm in my 50s and my work experience as a doctor provides me with abundant opportunities to see different kinds of people. But never have I been willing to get along with others in an insincere way.
I think people like to listen to me because of my job status today. But soon they'll lose interest in me and return to soap operas and star reality shows in their leisure time when life fully restarts. Who'd like to watch me talking at that time?
Would such fame have a positive or negative influence on your future work?
I don't care about the fame at all. I'm not a talkative type and my colleagues don't usually have a sense of my existence in the hospital.
I also want to emphasize that Shanghai provided me with the opportunity to "gain popularity". I didn't expect the kind of feedback I received when I first spoke to the media. What's more, none from the city government or the hospital has ever reminded me what to tell and what to avoid.
I just tell the truth about the epidemic－what happened and what will happen.
Credit to Source: China Daily
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