Hospital Director's Death
Prompts Doctors and Nurses Killed by
COVID-19 to Be Designated 'Martyrs' Local government authorities
recently announced the death of
Liu Zhiming, the director of the
Wuchang hospital in Wuhan, China. According to a statement from the Wuhan Municipal
Health Commission, Zhiming made “important contributions
in the work of fighting and controlling” of COVID-19. He is at least the seventh health worker to die of the
coronavirus so far, which has claimed over 1,800 lives. Zhiming is also the most senior health worker known to have
died as a result of his work containing and treating the virus. His death has renewed criticism of
the danger frontline medical workers
are being placed in, as they are often
overworked and overstretched. However, thanks to the sacrifices of these
medical professionals, more than 12,500
patients in China have recovered from COVID-19
and been discharged from hospitals. State media reports that the doctors and nurses
who have died as a result of their work to contain
COVID-19 will now be officially known as “martyrs.”