A Race Against Fate and Coronavirus—Story of Zhang Dingyu, President of Jinyintan Hospital

By Tang Xiao’an, Li Mo & Wu Chunxin

Perhaps there is no Superman coming to save Zhang Dingyu, a 57-year-old doctor with an incurable disease. But over the past month, he has become a Superman for many people in Wuhan, the center of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Zhang Dingyu is the president of Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, one of the city’s designated hospitals to admit patients infected with the new virus. He has spent the past 30 days treating patients since the first COVID-19 patients arrived at his hospital.

Zhang knows his clock is ticking. With amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), he will progressively lose muscle strength and eventually become paralyzed and unable to speak, move, swallow or breathe. His legs have recently been rendered powerless. He has to clutch at the handrail as he slowly makes his way up and down the stairs.

As president of the Hospital, one of the major battlefields of the epidemic, Zhang and his hundreds of colleagues have been on the frontline fighting against the novel coronavirus, and racing against time to treat critically ill patients.

我必須跑得更快，才能跑贏時間；我必須跑得更快，才能從病毒手里搶回更多病人

1月26日，大年初二。

自2019年12月29日轉入首批7 名新型冠狀病毒感染的肺炎患者以來，武漢市金銀潭醫院600 多名醫護人員，已在抗擊疫情的最前沿奮戰了29 天。

這里是武漢最大的專科傳染病醫院，目前收治的全是轉診確診患者。

晚上9 時，57 歲的院黨委副書記、院長張定宇帶著疲憊，一瘸一拐走向我們。手機鈴聲處，是他在接打電話，整個走廊都能聽到他在喊。我們默默地數著，到張院長跟我們握手時，他已經接打了6 個電話。

“全院都曉得我性子急、嗓門大?！睆埗ㄓ钚χ鵀樽约捍驁A場，“性子急，是因為生命留給我的時間不多了?！彼聊艘粫?，平靜地提起那個埋在心里的秘密：“我是一個漸凍癥患者，雙腿已經開始萎縮，全身慢慢都會失去知覺。我必須跑得更快，才能跑贏時間，把重要的事情做完；我必須跑得更快，才能從病毒手里搶回更多病人?！?/p>

In the Comprehensive Building of Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Zhang Dingyu talking on the walkie talkie (Photo by Ke Hao)在武漢金銀潭醫院綜合病區樓，張定宇在聯系協調工作（柯皓 攝）

在疫情中“逆行”的29 天里，張定宇往往凌晨2時剛躺下，4 時就得爬起來，接無數電話，處理各種突發事件。就在他日夜撲在一線，為重癥患者搶出生命通道時，同為醫務人員的妻子，卻因新型冠狀病毒感染，在十幾公里外的另一家醫院接受隔離治療。

身為共產黨員、醫務工作者，非常時期、危急時刻，必須堅決頂上去

1月24日，除夕夜。

當晚，張定宇接到通知，解放軍陸軍軍醫大學150 人醫療隊和上海136 名醫療隊都將奔赴金銀潭醫院。張定宇和團隊受到極大鼓舞。“近一個月，醫護人員嚴重不足。日常狀態下，護士2 小時交接班一次，現在需拉長至四五小時，醫生就更辛苦，嚴重的體力透支也會增大感染風險?！卑差D完醫療隊住下，已過凌晨3 時。日歷已悄然翻到1月25日，中國年的大年初一。

1月26日，兩支醫療隊成建制接管該院四個病區，截至晚11 時，接收53 名轉診患者。

“還有一批病人要連夜轉過來，估計今天要達到70 多人?！睆埗ㄓ顝臅h室的窗戶望出去，不遠處的南樓、北樓和綜合樓，21 個病區，燈火通明，650 多名感染者在這里接受治療。

火線48小時，張定宇兵不卸甲、馬不停蹄?！吧頌楣伯a黨員、醫務工作者，非常時期、危急時刻，必須不忘初心、勇擔使命，堅決頂上去！”張定宇對我們說，全院240多名黨員，沒有一個人遲疑、退縮，全部挺在急難險重崗位?！坝袊覐姶蟮膭訂T能力、科技研發實力和雄厚的經濟實力，廣大黨員干部群眾眾志成城，疫情終將被我們戰勝！”張定宇雙眼布滿血絲，但眼神堅毅而沉著。

傳染病不是絕癥，當前我們最需要的，是消除恐懼

2019年12月，武漢部分醫療機構陸續出現不明原因肺炎病人，引起張定宇的高度警惕。

當月29日，首批7 名不明原因肺炎患者轉入金銀潭醫院，該院開辟專門病區。

憑著多年在傳染病領域的臨床經驗，張定宇感覺這個病不簡單。他一邊叮囑醫務人員加強防護，一邊帶領大家采集這7 名病人的支氣管肺泡灌洗液，并送往武漢病毒所進行化驗?！盀槭裁匆杉闻莨嘞匆海恳驗槲覀儼l現，一些病人在做咽拭子檢測的時候是陰性，但病情卻在持續加重，肺部CT 異常，我們懷疑病毒已通過下呼吸道進入肺泡，果不其然?！睆埗ㄓ钫f，病毒躲在肺泡里，咽喉檢查根本不起作用，但究竟這是一種什么病毒，誰也不知道。后來，科學家團隊從分離樣本中，確認這是一種新型冠狀病毒。

On the evening of January 27, Zhang Dingyu coordinating the transfer of critically ill patient (Photo by Ke Hao)1月27日晚，張定宇協調危重病人轉運（柯皓 攝）

In the past week, Zhang went to bed at about 2 am and got up at about 4 am. This has become the 57-year-old doctor’s daily routine.

“I have never encountered such pressure as today,” Zhang said. “For me, ALS is like a sword hanging over my head. I want to make a contribution with the limited time I have left. I try to outrun death, saving time and indeed more patients.”

He added that he has to quicken his pace.

His wife, also a medical worker, was infected with the novel coronavirus and was hospitalized on January 19. Luckily, after medical treatment, she has now recovered.

On December 29, it was foggy in Wuhan, a big city with a population of over 10 million in central China’s Hubei Province. The first batch of seven patients infected with coronavirus were transferred to Zhang’s hospital.

Zhang, an expert in infectious diseases, was on high alert in December when some cases of pneumonia with an unknown cause began to be reported at hospitals in Wuhan. When the first seven patients arrived, the Hospital immediately set aside two separate areas for around 80 patients.

However, the situation was even worse than he imagined. On the second day, he decided to allocate more medical resources and separate wards for more infected patients.

Jinyintan Hospital, a once little-known hospital in Wuhan, has been scented with the odor of disinfectant and undercurrent of uneasiness. The sound of call bells never stopped.

The sense of urgency made Zhang even more short-tempered than usual. He demanded doctors and nurses answer his questions about patients quickly and accurately.

面對新的病毒，沒有疫苗，也沒有特效藥，大家都在試。治療中，該院醫護人員發現，他們以往用于抗艾滋病的藥物“克力芝”，對新型冠狀病毒有一定療效。同時，從一個輕癥患者居家隔離自愈過程判斷，提高人體免疫力非常重要。

張定宇說：“傳染病不是絕癥，當前我們最需要的，是消除恐懼?！?/p>

我很內疚，我也許是個好醫生，但不是個好丈夫

張定宇的雙腿越來越不給力了，上下樓時，腿跟凍住了一樣。但每每有人問他腿怎么了，他都擺擺手搪塞說：“我膝關節不好?！比簺]有一個人知道，他一瘸一拐的腳步，緣于漸凍癥的折磨。

這是一種罕見的絕癥，又稱肌萎縮側索硬化（ALS），無藥可治。早期，患者可能只是感到有一些無力、痙攣、容易疲勞。漸漸地，就會進展為全身肌肉萎縮和吞咽困難，直至產生呼吸衰竭。張定宇不告訴別人，是怕影響工作。

他微笑著把身體蜷縮在椅子里說：“你看我現在長得五大三粗，慢慢地，我會像這樣縮成小小的一團。每個漸凍病人，都是看著自己一點一點消逝的?！彼f，“如果你的生命開始倒計時，就會拼了命去爭分奪秒做一些事！”

當我們問到妻子被感染的事情時，這位硬漢忽然濕了眼眶。

“有天下班我回得很晚，跟愛人談起院里病人的情況，說發病的時候會很喘。她說，我也覺得有些喘?！钡诙?，她悄悄去醫院檢查，確診已被感染，隨后入院。張定宇的愛人在武漢市第四醫院工作，也在疫情防控一線。

分身乏術的張定宇，有時忙得三四天都顧不上去看一眼妻子?！拔液軆染?，我也許是個好醫生，但不是個好丈夫。我們結婚28年了，我也害怕，怕她身體扛不過去！”

愿用漸凍的生命，與千千萬萬白衣衛士一起，托起信心與希望

在金銀潭醫院北樓五病區主任魏明眼中，張定宇急性子，辦事雷厲風行，一旦有困難向他反映，他會想方設法，立即解決?！拔覀冞@個病區剛開時很缺人手，我一急就給張院長打電話，他馬上帶著護理部、后勤科室人員來現場辦公。”

從武漢市第四醫院副院長，到武漢血液中心主任，再到6年前出任金銀潭醫院院長，張定宇的白大褂一穿就是幾十年。在抗疫一線，他臨危受命。在災情關頭，他沖鋒在前。

1997年11月，張定宇曾響應國家號召，隨中國醫療隊出征，援助阿爾及利亞。

2008年5月14日，四川汶川地震第三天，張定宇就帶領湖北省第三醫療隊出現在重災區什邡市，全力搶救傷員。

2011年除夕，張定宇在巴基斯坦西北的蒂默加拉醫院度過，他是湖北第一位“無國界醫生”。那天凌晨，他被一陣電話鈴聲喚醒。一名產婦子宮破裂出血，需緊急搶救。匆匆趕到手術室，做麻醉，穩定病人血液循環。不到30 分鐘，一個男嬰呱呱墜地。緊接著，第二臺剖宮產病人轉到手術臺，張定宇緊急給產婦做局部麻醉，20 多分鐘，又一個新生命誕生。時間已是凌晨4 時15 分。剛換下工作服，又有一位產婦胎盤早剝、出血，需要緊急剖宮產。輸液、給氧、麻醉、手術……胎兒終于降生了，卻沒有心跳。他迅速采取心臟按壓、吸引、氣管插管、給氧，一陣忙碌后，手術室里又一次響起了嬰兒的啼哭聲。

這樣一位施恩于人、充滿大愛的白衣衛士，卻總把“感恩”二字掛在嘴邊。

“很感激解放軍和上海醫療隊的分擔，讓我這兩天凌晨1 點就能躺下了，之前有時候得扛到三四點才能睡?！?/p>

“我愛人雖然感染了病毒，但是很幸運，給她用了抗毒藥之后，有效果，我很感恩。”

“這樣的疫情和災難，發生在其他任何一個國家，后果都不可想象。我很感恩，當我們為了搶救病人不顧一切，背后支撐我們的，是整個中國?！?/p>

疫情還沒發生前，有空的時候，張定宇會去徒步。他說，我很珍惜還能走路的時間。

On February 18, Cheng Lin, wife of Zhang Dingyu, comes to Jinyintan Hospital to donate plasma. Cheng Lin (second from the right) takes a photo with the medical staff after donation2月18日，武漢市金銀潭醫院院長張定宇的夫人程琳來到金銀潭醫院捐獻血漿。程琳（右二）在捐獻后與醫護人員合影留念

而眼下，他要與命運叫板，在抗擊疫情的最前沿，用漸凍的生命，與千千萬萬白衣衛士一起，托起信心與希望，托起無數人的生命與健康。

“Otherwise he will scold you without mercy,” said Zhang Li, head of a ward in the hospital. “But thanks to his resolute and daring action, medical staff in our hospital are willing to turn to him whenever they face challenges because shorttempered Zhang will figure out a solution.”

On January 23, China locked down Wuhan in an unprecedented effort to curb the spread of the new infectious disease. The city has been at the center of a storm sweeping across the nation.

As one of Wuhan’s designated hospitals to admit patients infected with the new virus, Jinyintan mainly accepted critically ill patients. By 10 am Sunday, the hospital had 581 novel coronavirus patients including more than 200 in serious and critical condition.

On January 24, the eve of the Chinese New Year, 150 medical workers from Army Medical University in Chongqing were sent to the hospital to support its staff.

Till then, Zhang has been on duty every day since December 29.

Zhang never revealed the state of his own illness to his colleagues after he was diagnosed with ALS in 2018. He lied to them, saying he had undergone a knee operation. However, more and more colleagues noticed his strange way of walking down the stairs. He finally admitted his illness after constant inquiries.

“When I first came to know I was a rare disease patient, I was very scared,” Zhang said. “You love life, but imagine one day being told that you don’t have long to live.”

Zhang has researched medical materials about ALS. “I will live another 5 to 10 years, perhaps. Nobody knows. This is why I especially cherish every minute I have, taking a walk, soaking myself in the sunshine or working along with my colleagues,” he said.

Zhang’s illness has touched a nerve for many colleagues. Jia Chunmin, a head nurse in the hospital, couldn’t believe it.

“He actually walks very fast,” she said, recalling Zhang once called her to arrive in a new ward in five minutes. Hanging up the phone, Jia ran fast to the ward, only to find Zhang was already there although his office was farther than hers.

“No one can keep up with him in the battle against the new virus,” Jia said.

In many cases, he sleeps no more than two hours before being woken amid a stream of emergency calls.

After working around the clock for 22 days, Zhang received the bad news that his wife was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus while working at another hospital in Wuhan.

Only after three days of his wife being hospitalized did Zhang find time to visit her, and he only stayed for 30 minutes.

“I feel very guilty. Perhaps I am a good doctor, but not a good husband,” Zhang said. “We have been married for 28 years. I was afraid of losing her.”

Luckily, after medical treatment, Zhang’s wife has now recovered.

It was not the first time for Zhang to stand on the front line over the past 33 years.

In 2008, he led a medical team from Hubei to help victims in southwest China’s Sichuan Province after the devastating Wenchuan earthquake. He was once a member of a Chinese medical team assisting Algeria. In 2011, he worked in a hospital in Pakistan to help local patients.

After the interview, he turns around and hobbles toward the isolation wards, slowly but surely, hoping to outpace the spread of the new virus while he is still able to move.

“Every life has an end. It is a normal thing. We need to accept it and bravely face the reality.” This is what he always says to his family. (Source: Xinhua News Agency & China Daily)