The news of the Corona Virus' global spread has international news outlets transfixed with the numbers killed, the numbers of contaminations the number of people quarantined and the ever increasing numbers of countries trying to contain the virus. Lost in all this coverage has been the staggering commitment of resources in the fight to combat the pandemic. No organization has mobilized more resources or been more active in the front lines of this effort than the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The following statistics reflect just a portion of the massive response mounted by the PLA thus far:
PLA has sent 3 batches of more than 4,000 medical personnel to support Wuhan in fighting against the epidemic. The military medical personnel are taken from the PLA Army, Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, Strategic Support Force, Joint Logistic Support Force and Armed Police Force.
Up to now, a total of nearly 20 transport aircraft attached to the PLA Air Force, including Y-20s, Il-76s and Y-9s, were tasked to carry out airlift operations to Wuhan City from multiple locations across China. These planes carried military medical teams and tons of medical supplies. This was the first time for Y-20s, China's self-developed large transport aircraft, to take part in military operations other than war (MOOTW). It was also the first time for the PLA Air Force to deploy large and medium transport aircraft for urgent airlift operations on such a large scale.
Two earlier groups of medics, totaling 1,400 PLA members, have taken over the operation of the Huoshenshan temporary hospital, which has 1,000 beds for severe cases of NCP. The remaining 2,600 PLA medial personnel have undertaken the tasks of treating patients that have been diagnosed and confirmed in other civilian hospitals.
Meanwhile, one support team of the PLA were tasked to transport supplies for three mobile cabin hospitals in Wuhan, which have 800, 2,000 and 1,000 beds respectively and provide medical care and treatment for those with light symptoms.
The incredible series of photos and captions (below) illustrate not only the scale of the PLA’s response to Covid 19 Virus as a military organization, but also the emotional impact on its personnel deployed to put themselves at risk of infection.
