Qiao Wuying directs a transfer of COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, Hubei province, in February. He was part of the team sent from neighboring Henan province to help fight the epidemic in the hard-hit city. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

During his 45-day stay in Wuhan early this year, Qiao Wuying, the head of a medical assistance team from Henan province, set foot in many of its streets and alleys but rarely got a chance to appreciate the city's skyline.

On March 19, the night before the 81-member team left Wuhan, Hubei's provincial capital and the Chinese city hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, Qiao gathered his colleagues in front of the hotel they stayed in. With the outbreak waning, they could finally take a break.

"My team members wore goggles and face masks all the time and had missed the beauty of Wuhan," he said."I asked if two buses could be arranged to drive them around so they could take in the night view of the city."

As the director of the emergency medical rescue center in Zhengzhou, Henan's provincial capital, Qiao, 52, is used to racing against time to provide first aid and transfer patients to hospital.

However, arriving in Wuhan, an unfamiliar city 500 kilometers away, on Feb 5 posed fresh challenges.

"The first obstacle was how to ensure smooth communication," he said.

The team Qiao led brought one command car and 20 ambulances with them, but their communication systems were not compatible with the ones used by the first aid network in Wuhan.

"To solve the issue, we resorted to both very basic methods, such as exchanging information through WeChat messaging groups and walkie-talkies, and using highly advanced 5G," he said.

Qiao also urged the ambulance drivers to devote all the time they could to learning the roads of Wuhan with the help of navigation tools.

"We aimed to locate the patients in need and transport them to hospitals as quickly as possible," he said.