For SA doctor Brett Lyndall Singh the bond developed with China will not allow him to pack his bags at a time when it faces the coronavirus, which has so far killed close to 2,000 people. According to an IoL report, Singh said his conscience, and his oath as a medical doctor, could not allow him to leave the city of Wenzhou when it needed him most. “We work from 7am to 6pm. We also have night shift duties. We usually see around 50 paediatric patients a day, but during these times, we have implemented a triage system to treat patients.
"I am designated to my district, and see most cases that are not necessary to go to the hospital, so that we do not send patients near the isolation zones. Most cities have implemented strict quarantines and people are encouraged to stay at home and not travel,” said 26-year-old Singh – known as Xin Chengle in Chinese.
The report says Singh is one of the many medical professionals at the front of the fight against the epidemic in the port and industrial Wenzhou city, in China’s Zhejiang province, but is one of the few foreign doctors in China to have stayed on. Most people were encouraged to leave the country if they had the means.
Singh arrived in China in 2011, and at 17 he graduated in the local language before starting medical school. Through demonstrated dedication, he received the Zhejiang provincial scholarships throughout his years of study. To maintain his roots, he became a student representative of the South African consulate general in Shanghai. He is also a global ambassador for Brand South Africa, representing numerous South Africans in China.
Singh says in the report that he plans to play a positive role in the relations between South Africa and China. Among other efforts, Singh has launched a fund-raising campaign to help his beloved Wenzhou city. The donations will be used to purchase medical masks and other medical materials. The material will be donated to Wenzhou Medical University for further distribution to the hospitals in most need.
[link url="https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/young-sa-doctor-on-the-front-line-against-coronavirus-in-china-42884874"]Full IoL report[/link]