Source: Qinhuangdao News Network
On the morning of February 9, 25,000 disposable medical masks from Indonesia were distributed to 7 medical institutions in Qinhuangdao, including the No. 3 Hospital, the No. 1 Hospital, and the No. 2 Hospital, which were donated by Bo Ning, who was born in Qinhuangdao and now lives in Hong Kong. At the critical moment of containing the contagion, Qinhuangdao people who live in other places always think of the people in their hometown. They simultaneously did their best to buy the medical supplies, overcoming many difficulties.
Bo Ning used her own car as a truck to transport masks.
At 11 o’clock on the night of February 5, Bo Ning drove her car loaded with medical masks from Hong Kong to Shenzhen for customs clearance. “I have gone through ups and downs since the Spring Festival Eve, like riding the roller coaster. I could hardly stand it any more through searching and buying the supplies and experiencing the raising price by the supplier, fortunately, I made it at last.” She said with excitement.
Finding supplies worldwide
Bo Ning, a specially-invited CPPCC member from Hong Kong and Macao and a member of the Hong Kong and Macao Association of the Municipal Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, has always kept her hometown people in mind. “My classmate is a nurse, she has to spray the mask with alcohol so as to use it longer due to the shortage of masks,” she choked, “It is so hard for them. I must do something for my hometown!” After getting in touch with the Municipal Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Bo Ning initiated the supplies searching throughout the globe together with many overseas Chinese.
There came the good news a few days later, Bo Ning ordered 1,000 boxes of masks through a local clinic. “One box contains 50 masks. There are 50,000 masks that can relieve the urgent needs.” Bo Ning was afraid that things would change and quickly paid the deposit first, but she received a call from the clinic the next day, saying that there were not so many masks, and they could not keep their promise. Bo Ning realized that the supplier wanted to sell at a higher price. “I was very angry at that time, but I had to be calm down, I told them how hard it is in China now, and we really need these masks, finally they agreed, thank goodness!” But the clinic called again in 10 minutes to inform Bo Ning that the number of masks was 1,000 instead of 1,000 boxes, which drove Bo Ning mad.
“How much do you want now?” Bo Ning didn’t want to waste her time, “There is no restriction on the price of medical supplies in Hong Kong, and the clinic is not the manufacturer. We found that the masks are from Indonesia. I must take them no matter how high the price is!” In the end, Bo Ning got 25,000 masks with more than twice the original price.
On the evening of February 4, a large truck came to the gate of the Bo Ning’s community. She was very excited, and transported them into her house together with her family with a cart. “My daughter kept asking me what these are for, and I told her how significant the masks are while transporting. My daughter was very happy, so was I.” Bo Ning said.
Do everything possible to transport supplies
Xing Shuai, an specially-invited overseas CPPCC member and a standing member of the Municipal Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, went through the same setbacks as Bo Ning did while looking for supplies in New Zealand. “The supplies we found were sold out very quickly, and the price soared, I was very excited when I grabbed 10,000 masks and 10,000 pairs of gloves.” She got the supplies, but the harder part was how to transport them back to Qinhuangdao, her hometown.
With the World Health Organization’s announcement of the NCP as an “public health emergency of international concern”, many countries around the world have begun to adopt restrictive measures, airlines were suspended, supplies were restricted, and some channels were closed...
“Flights from New Zealand to China have been suspended. There are a few domestic airlines that can fly, but it depends on luck, so I have to wait. I am an educator, and I learned that one of my students is doing logistics, so I hurried to ask for help, thank God he would give a hand.” In the evening of February 4, Xing Shuai transported the supplies to Auckland International Airport and was preparing to take the HNA flight back to China. However, the flight was temporarily canceled. Xing Shuai was so anxious that her voice was hoarse. “The HNA flight was suspended, I will contact the Air China, I must transport the supplies to the motherland no matter how hard it is.” Xing Shuai called the Municipal Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese.
At 2:00 am local time in New Zealand on February 6, Xing Shuai told reporters with a hoarse voice, “The materials have finally been transported to China. The medical staff in Qinhuangdao will get them soon!”
During the customs clearance of overseas materials, the staff from the Municipal Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and the Municipal Red Cross coordinated and offered suggestions. “They have a firm patriotic belief. I suggested them to donate in cash as it is difficult to get supplies, but they all know that what they need most now is medical supplies that cannot be bought with money, and they made it at last. Facing the contagion, overseas Chinese all over the world acted together to pump blood transfusion to the motherland. This is the warm patriotism of the overseas Chinese, and this is the strong cohesion and inspiration of our great motherland.” said Hu Yuying, the chairman of the Municipal Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, who was touched again and again by the patriotic feelings of the overseas Chinese.
Xing Shuai said that this is the happiest receiving of goods.
“There would be no us without our motherland”
On February 4, 140,000 medical surgical masks donated by Zhang Qijie from the Hebei Chamber of Commerce in Australia, after experiencing flight suspension and other events, finally arrived at the Capital Airport from Sydney Airport via Melbourne Airport, and were delivered to the Red Cross Society of China Hebei Branch, of which 8,000 were targeted to Qinhuangdao.
On February 6, supplies form New Zealand landed at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport and were transported to the Red Cross Society of China Hebei Branch for direct donation to 5 hospitals in our city;
In the early morning of February 8, 4000 medical masks arrived in Qinhuangdao from Dubai, which was donated by Lin Peng, a member of the Municipal Overseas Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Italy. “I must take them back even if carrying them by myself!” In the end, he asked a friend of him in Dubai to carry the masks back to China. At the same time, he also found another 10,000 medical masks in Italy and is trying to solve the transportation problem;
Yuan Dan, a specially-invited CPPCC member and overseas consultant of the Municipal Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, donated 5,000 yuan to the Returned Overseas Chinese Foundation, and is continuing to prepare medical supplies abroad ...
“There is no us without the motherland. We are grateful to the motherland. And it is the time that we repay her!” This is the common aspiration of travellers who are far from home and the motherland!
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