Yuan Yadong speaks at the press conference in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, on March 8, 2020. [Photo/official website of the State Council Information Office]

As one of the country's tens of thousands of medical professionals who had rushed to Wuhan to help fight the novel coronavirus epidemic, Yuan Yadong said they had only one goal: all people in the country could take their masks off and breathe freely.

Yuan, a doctor from the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University's pneumology department, voluntarily joined a medical team and went to Wuhan, epicenter of the outbreak.

On Jan 26, two days after the Lunar New Year's Eve, she started the journey with the rest of other 150 medical professionals. At 4:30 am that day, they arrived in Wuhan and took over the work of treating infected patients at Wuhan No 7 Hospital.

"For weeks, we had about 190 patients being hospitalized, with more than half of them showing severe symptoms or in critical condition," Yuan said. Now, 159 patients have been discharged after recovery, she said.

Yuan risked her own safety and insisted on daily patrolling the wards for severe patients. Also, based on the guidance from the National Health Commission, she prepared tailor-made treatment plans for each patient.

"Fears about the epidemic are reasonable. As a doctor, however, we should have more courage," Yuan said at a media briefing held by the State Council Information Office in Wuhan on Sunday.

"We should believe that our safety can be guaranteed under effective protection. And lives can also be saved via scientific treatment."

About 17 years ago, Yuan was involved in the fight against the outbreak of the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

"The previous experiences we gained were very usefull," she said. "Only by being with the patients and gaining experiences by working in the frontline, a doctor can be a real expert."

The efforts from Yuan and her team started achieving results just days after their arrival. On Feb 18, the Wuhan No 7 Hospital took the third spot in terms of successfully treating severe infections among all hospitals in Wuhan.

The hospital now has an added district treating COVID-19 patients, which can provide an extra of 37 hospital beds.

Also, Yuan has helped redesign the hospital's intensive care unit and expanded the bed number from 12 to 15 — an increase that can  save more lives.

Like her, Yuan said a large number of medical workers left their Spring Festival family reunions to aid the fight in Hubei.

"All our efforts are to achieve the goal that every resident in China can breathe freely," she said, adding that they will shoulder their responsibility to safeguard the health of all people in the country.