Courageous Expat Doctor Staying In Wuhan For His Patients

An expat doctor in Wuhan has refused evacuation and is staying to care for his patients.

Almost a week after the final evacuation airlift from Wuhan to France took place, French doctor Philippe Klein is still in the stricken city caring for his patients. The decision to stay took him just 15 minutes to make. Dr. Klein is the senior practitioner at a Wuhan international clinic, and is fully aware of the speed at which the virus is spreading as well as the fact that, due to containment measures, it’s movements are now linear rather than exponential. As a result, he believes, the epidemic should reach its peak some time this weekend.

He told online media the numbers of operative hospital beds are now on the increase, with the speedily-built new facility already housing around 50 patients with severe symptoms. The local medical staff, he added, are to be admired for their courage and dedication. Unfortunately, there’s a lack of equipment and especially a shortage of protective clothing for hospital personnel, with Beijing now forced to repurchase stocks held overseas.

To avoid spreading the virus, Dr Klein prefers to visit his patients at home, wearing the necessary protective gear including his mask and gloves. At present, he’s well supplied, as one French evacuation flight brought in further supplies. His wife and son left for France on the second flight, a hard decision for him but correct as he couldn’t be certain about not bringing the virus into his home. As regards the deaths caused by the virus, he stressed those who’d died were already in poor health, adding that he’s now treating young foreign victims, all of whom have good prognoses.