A meeting to commend role models in the country's fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was carried out in Beijing on Sept 8.

Two medical workers from Zhanjiang were honored as outstanding individuals for their role in the nation's fight against the novel coronavirus.

Sun Xiaocong, chief physician at the Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, traveled to Jingzhou in Hubei province on Feb 12 to participate in anti-COVID-19 work at the Shishou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. It took Sun only two and a half days to complete the renovation of the hospital's wards.

He also risked his life to perform invasive intubation on a COVID-19 patient with respiratory failure. The tube was removed from the patient six days later, making the individual the first in Jingzhou to recover from the procedure.

"I will go wherever I am needed," said Sun, "I just do what a doctor should do."

Li Yueqiu, head nurse at the Central People's Hospital of Zhanjiang, signed up to support the COVID-19 fight in Wuhan, Hubei province, without any hesitation. She was among the first batch of medical workers in Zhanjiang to assist Hubei and was stationed in Wuhan's cabin hospital.