Li takes coronavirus patients to watch the sunset at the hospital in Shenzhen in February. CHINA DAILY

Call to arms

In late January, when Li was asked if he was willing to work on the front line against the pandemic, he stepped up, saying it was the duty of every medical worker.

He spends most of his time at the Third People's Hospital in the ICUs. A normal shift in the department is four hours, but he sometimes stays for more than seven.

He checks patients from head to toe and adjusts their equipment as required. He has also manually performed colonic cleansing for comatose patients every two or three days to prevent bacterial infection.

Each doctor takes charge of three patients during peak hours. When Li finishes work with his patients for the day, he walks through the wards checking other severely ill patients and encouraging them.

He even regularly visits patients in his free time.