Heart-breaking footage has captured the wife a hospital chief in Wuhan bidding a tearing farewell to her husband after he died of coronavirus.
Devastated Cai Liping, a nurse, was caught on camera wailing and chasing a van which was taking her husband’s body from a hospital to a crematorium in the epicentre of the outbreak.
Her partner, 51-year-old Dr Liu Zhiming, was declared dead Tuesday morning after contracting the deadly disease while fighting the epidemic on the front line, according to Wuhan health officials.
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New footage has emerged of Dr Liu Zhiming’s wife wailing and chasing a van carrying his body
Dr Liu, the head of Wuhan Wuchang Hospital at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak, died of the disease at around 11am on Tuesday after contracting it at work, health officials confirmed
Dr Liu, the former director of Wuhan Wuchang Hospital, was the first Chinese hospital leader who has lost his life to the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 2,100 people.
He had just celebrated his birthday a week before. He had refused to let his wife look after him during his treatment out of concerns that she could have caught the virus from him, reported Hubei Daily.
His family, friends and colleagues gathered outside the Zhongfa Xincheng branch of Wuhan Tongji Hospital Tuesday afternoon to give him a send-off.
A video trending on Chinese social media shows one hazmat-clad mourner, reported to be Dr Liu’s wife, crying out loud and running after a van.
The clip shows another person, also donning the full-body protective suit, trying to drag back the grief-stricken spouse when the vehicle slowly drives away from the hospital building to Yusunshan Crematorium.
Dr Liu’s family, friends and colleagues gathered outside the Zhongfa Xincheng branch of Wuhan Tongji Hospital Tuesday afternoon to give him a send-off after the leader died
Dr Liu’s relatives and colleagues sobbed inconsolably while wearing face masks at the solemn occasion. Dr Liu was the first Chinese hospital leader who has lost his life to the coronavirus
Another video shared by Hubei Daily shows Dr Liu’s other relatives and colleagues sobbing inconsolably while wearing face masks on the solemn occasion.
When Dr Liu was critically ill, her partner repeatedly expressed her intention of going to quarantine units to take care of him, but Dr Liu firmly rejected her request.
Cai, the chief nurse at the Intensive Care Unit of Wuhan No. 3 Hospital, had not been able to see her husband for nearly a month prior to his passing.
She said her husband caught the virus on January 23. Just two days earlier, Dr Liu’s hospital was appointed by the government to be a dedicated coronavirus hospital.
‘It is possible that the hospital was so busy and he did not pay special attention [to protect himself],’ she told Chinese news outlet The Paper.
The novel coronavirus has killed at least 2,128 people and infected more than 75,700 globally
Li Wenliang, 34, succumbed to the deadly contagion in the early hours of February 7 local time, despite attempts to resuscitate him. The ophthalmologist caught the public’s attention after he was reprimanded by police and accused of spreading ‘fake news’ for warning on social media of ‘SARS at a Wuhan seafood market’. His hospital initially denied reports of his death
Mourners pay their respect to deceased Chinese doctor Li Wenliang during a vigil ceremony in Hong Kong on February 7. The public have accused Dr Li’s hospital of trying to cover up truth
Dr Liu died in Wuhan Tongji Hospital after ‘all-out rescue efforts failed’, officials said. Pictured, throngs of people queue to receive treatment at the hospital in Hubei Province on January 22
Dr Liu was taken into the ICU on February 4 and the couple stayed in touch by messages and video calls.
‘His condition was serious throughout the course. He had high fevers right after being hospitalised. He was transferred [to Tongji Hospital] on the 14th and was given intensive care straight away,’ she said.
Cai added that she planned to go back to work after dealing with the aftermath of her husband’s death because ‘many patients still need to be treated’.
Dr Liu died at around 11am on Tuesday after ‘all-out rescue efforts failed’.
Wuhan Municipal Health Commission expressed its deepest condolences to Dr Liu’s family members.
It said: ‘Since the epidemic started, comrade Liu Zhiming put aside his personal safety, led all medical workers at Wuchang Hospital to fight on the counter-epidemic front line and made important contributions in the work of fighting and controlling novel coronavirus.
‘The work of fighting and controlling the epidemic in our city is at a critical juncture. We hope the city’s many medical workers can unite as one to rise up to the challenges and fight heroically, to resolutely win the battle of epidemic prevention and control.’
More than 75,700 patients have been infected, including nearly 1,000 outside of China
Over 2,100 people have now died from the killer coronavirus rapidly sweeping the world
Dr Liu’s death sparked a fresh wave of anger just two weeks after another medic, whistle-blower Dr Li Wenliang, succumbed to the virus.
In both cases, reports of the medics’ deaths were retracted by officials who claimed that doctors were still trying to revive them.
The director of the Wuchang Hospital was hailed for his ‘important contributions in the work of fighting and controlling novel coronavirus’ after his death aged 51.
But many users on Chinese social media platform Weibo drew comparisons between Dr Liu’s death and that of Dr Li, who was reprimanded for trying to raise the alarm about the virus.
Doctors in Wuhan face shortages of masks and protective bodysuits, with some even wearing makeshift hazmat suits and continuing to work despite showing respiratory symptoms.
‘Has everyone forgotten what happened to Li Wenliang? They forcefully attempted resuscitation after he died,’ one Weibo commenter wrote.
A hashtag about Liu’s death had 29million views by Tuesday afternoon.
Originating in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the new coronavirus – known as COVID-19 – has infected more than 74,000 people inside China. Pictured, members of a neighborhood committee stand guard to control people entering the local area on February 19 in Beijing
Overnight, Hubei health officials reported 349 new cases out of a nationwide total of 394 and 108 of the 114 new deaths across China. The figures are the lowest daily toll in a month
Originating in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the new coronavirus – known as COVID-19 – has infected more than 74,000 people inside China.
The government has locked down tens of millions of people in several virus-hit cities, extended Lunar New Year holidays and pulled flights in a scramble to contain the virus.
Hubei, situated in central China, accounts for more than 80 per cent of the confirmed cases and 95 per cent of the deaths globally.
Overnight, the Hubei health officials reported 349 new cases out of a nationwide total of 394 and 108 of the 114 new deaths across China.
The figures are the lowest daily toll in a month and Beijing said outbreak control efforts ‘are working’.
Globally, the coronavirus epidemic has killed at least 2,128 people in China and infected more than 75,700, and has spread to at least two dozen countries.