At 4:36 a.m. on February 5, 2020, a large truck carrying 10850 sets of professional protective clothing, 20800 N95 medical masks and other epidemic prevention materials, departed from the Wenjindu port in Shenzhen. After more than 10 hours of day and night journey, it successfully arrived at the material support warehouse of the pneumonia epidemic prevention and control headquarters of the new coronavirus infection in Changde City.

It was airlifted from South Africa to Hong Kong, then picked up the goods from the customs of Hong Kong Airport, and transported back to Changde by land. After nearly 10,000 kilometers and nearly 30 hours on the way, Changde's most scarce and largest batch of foreign medical supplies finally arrived in Changde from South Africa.

"We have purchased a total of 30000 masks and 28000 sets of protective clothing from South Africa. This is the first batch. Another batch is expected to be shipped from South Africa this Saturday and arrive in Hong Kong on Sunday." Zheng Datian, chairman of Hunan Ping An Medical Equipment Technology Co., Ltd., counted the goods and told reporters that he was tired.

"Changde City is seriously short of medical supplies. At present, there are only 40 sets of professional protective clothing left, which is not enough for front-line medical personnel to use for one day. This batch of medical supplies really solves the urgent need." Tang Zuoguo, vice mayor of Changde Municipal People's Government and chief of material support for the city's new coronavirus-infected pneumonia epidemic prevention and control headquarters, excitedly told reporters that this is not an ordinary mask and protective clothing, but an N95 mask and special protective clothing for medical staff entering the Ⅰ CU intensive care unit and isolation room. Moreover, this is the most tense material in the domestic and foreign markets at present, and now many countries have restricted procurement.

How did this batch of medical supplies "fly" from South Africa to Changde?

Global procurement, South African Chinese father and son help to complete seven days

On January 23, the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, Zheng Datian received an urgent task from the city's epidemic prevention and control headquarters: to find ways to purchase medical supplies for Changde City worldwide.

The new coronavirus infection of pneumonia epidemic is spreading, Changde City masks, protective clothing and other medical supplies are about to be urgent! Municipal Party Secretary Zhou Derui, Mayor Cao Lijun emergency dispatch, requiring the use of all resources, global procurement of protective materials. Vice Mayor Tang Zuoguo made the first call to Zheng Datian, who has been engaged in the medical industry for many years.

Hunan Ping An Medical Equipment Technology Co., Ltd. has business dealings with related enterprises in more than 10 countries on weekdays. "I used all kinds of contacts and resources, but the manufacturers were basically out of stock, and it was difficult for various countries to purchase so many materials. Finally, a South African medical equipment company helped us find the source of goods and managed to raise 30000 masks and 28000 sets of protective clothing for us." Zheng Datian told reporters that after the outbreak of the epidemic, all parts of the country are purchasing medical supplies around the world. Fortunately, the New Year's Eve began to raise funds, otherwise it would be difficult to purchase such large quantities of supplies.

This South African medical equipment company and Ping An Medical Equipment Technology Co., Ltd. have been business partners for many years. The person in charge Wu Changfeng is originally from Taiwan, China. Although he has immigrated to South Africa for many years, his blood is thicker than water and he is particularly concerned about the epidemic in China. After learning that Changde was in urgent need of professional protective clothing and masks, the father and son took immediate action, using all their relations in South Africa, running up and down, and purchasing the materials within a week. When they put the supplies on the plane, the father and son couldn't help but burst into tears.

South Africa and Changde have a time difference of seven hours. Zheng Datian, who was ordered in the face of danger, has been in a state of white and black since the 30th of the year: coordinating domestic material transportation and other related affairs during the day and handling foreign procurement matters at night. Zheng Datian, who was once elected as a model worker in Hunan Province, told reporters that until today, he has hardly had a rest. "I am now waiting for a few days after all the materials arrive in Changde, and then have a good sleep." Zheng Datian's eyes were red and swollen, but he was in good spirits.

Volunteer team relay escort, the first batch of materials arrived smoothly

The preparations for medical supplies are in place, but how to transport these supplies to Changde in the shortest time? At this special time, domestic and foreign coordination work is also advancing intensively.

"The Chinese Consul General in Durban is now being contacted by telephone through the Finance Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the office of the Chinese Embassy in South Africa, respectively. The feedback so far is that they have received a letter from the Changde city government and decent people are in contact with Durban airport, and the results may be available soon."

"You need the specific manager to find Consul General Fei Mingxing. He will get off the plane and return to the Consulate General immediately."

This is the information intercepted by the reporter from a special WeChat group. In the past few days, under the personal dispatch of the secretary and mayor, and the overall coordination of the epidemic prevention and control headquarters, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chinese Embassy in South Africa, and the Chinese Consulate General in Durban have been opened up to give the green light to this batch of materials. Sixteen volunteers from Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Changde who did not know each other formed a pick-up team and set up a WeChat working group to exchange information from time to time. For this batch of urgently needed medical supplies in Changde, they did their best to be busy.

The difficulty of transporting goods is the biggest problem in front of us. "There are not many flights from South Africa to Beijing. There are one flights every Monday and Friday. Considering the time difference between South Africa and China, we decided to fly from South Africa to Hong Kong after discussion, and then pick up the goods from the Hong Kong Airport Customs and transport them back to Changde by land." Zheng Datian said.

how to get through the customs clearance link of hong kong airport? mayor cao lijun thought of chen yunlong, the chairman of the board of directors of china resources environmental protection under china resources group, who was from changde and cared about his hometown very much. When Chen Yunlong received a call from Vice Mayor Tang Zuoguo from Changde entrusted by the mayor for help, without saying a word, he immediately arranged for the staff of the Hong Kong company who were familiar with customs operations to form a 6-person volunteer team to connect with South Africa and the customs. In the shortest possible time, the customs clearance procedures for the goods were completed, and personnel and vehicles were arranged to pick up and drop off.

On February 3, before the goods were delivered to South Africa, the volunteers had already completed the relevant formalities and certificates in advance. At the Hong Kong airport, there are volunteers to help run the customs, prepare materials, go through formalities and move goods. The whole cross-border logistics link is very smooth. "The goods and materials will all leave the customs in only two hours. They will be escorted all the way to the Shenzhen border by the villagers in Hong Kong, and then the police cars and trucks sent by the municipal government will be safely transported back to Changde without stopping." Zheng Datian said.

"Thank you for your loving friends at home and abroad, and thank your comrades who have worked hard for this." The head of the material support working group of the new coronavirus-infected pneumonia epidemic prevention and control headquarters in Changde City said: this batch of materials will be sent to front-line medical staff to better protect front-line medical staff and improve front-line combat effectiveness.