The twelfth group of 170 medical staff from Shandong province left for Hubei province on Feb 20 to help fight the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak, according to local officials.

The team consisted of 50 doctors and 120 nurses from Shandong's 47 medical institutions. Zhang Fengwei, deputy director of Linyi People's Hospital, is the team captain.

All of the medics have ample experience in the prevention, control and treatment of infectious diseases and life-threatening illnesses, local authorities said.

Wu Weizhi, head of the out-patient department of the Dermatology Hospital Affiliated with the Shandong First Medical University, is a member of the team.

“I participated in medical relief work for the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan province. I have a lot of experience and have made adequate preparations to work on the frontlines,” Wu said.

“Many of my classmates and friends have already been fighting on the frontlines in Hubei, and we can offer them better support now.”

“I hope we can complete our task successfully, and we can all return home safely,” Wu added.

The medical team and a batch of medical supplies departed via two chartered planes from Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport.

Shandong has already sent 11 medical teams with 1,582 members, including medical personnel, psychologists, and disease control experts, to aid Hubei. Shandong medical teams are mainly working in hospitals in Wuhan, Huanggang, Ezhou, and other cities.

Medical workers at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine pack suitcases for their colleagues leaving to fight on the frontlines in Hubei province. [Photo/sdnews.com.cn]