North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region sent a medical team to Jingmen in Hubei province to help fight the novel coronavirus epidemic on the morning of Feb 15, according to local officials.

Jingmen-- as a severe virus-hit city in Hubei province -- is a counterpart support city of Inner Mongolia, local officials said.

Officials said the Inner Mongolia medical team would support Jingmen in accordance with the interprovincial counterpart support deployment requirements of the National Health Commission.

The medical team is the second dispatched by the government of Inner Mongolia to Jingmen, following a medical team of 141 members.

The newly sent team totaled 22 members, including 10 doctors and 10 nurses from Hulunbuir, Tongliao, Ordos, Baotou and Hinggan League.

To help them better put on and take off protective clothes, nurses Niu Qiang and He Fang from the Fifth People’s Hospital of Hulunbuir had the long hair they had grown for more than 10 years closely cropped before heading out to Jingmen.

In addition, the Inner Mongolia medical team included two accompanying reporters from Inner Mongolia Daily. It was the first time Inner Mongolia’s medical team had hosted media.

“When the country is in trouble, everyone should respond, especially those in the media,” said journalist Liu Chun from the Inner Mongolia Daily.

Asked if he was concerned about his safety during the trip to Jingmen, Liu Chun said his family was very supportive of his actions.

A family gives the thumbs up before heading to Jingmen in Hubei province, to fight against virus. [Photo/Inner Mongolia Daily]

Newly shorn nurse Niu Qiang, from the Fifth People’s Hospital of Hulunbuir, shows an old snapshot of her with long tresses. [Photo/Inner Mongolia Daily]

Nurses Niu Qiang and He Fang take a selfie of their new short hair.  [Photo/Inner Mongolia Daily]