Workers' pride takes priority over problems

Mainland workers are proud of overcoming difficulties in building a central government-aided emergency hospital in Hong Kong despite the challenges.

Crane commander Fan Xiaoman, 53, felt a sense of urgency as she endured hardships to help build the hospital in Hong Kong's Lok Ma Chau Loop last month. She was one of some 20,000 construction workers who came from the Chinese mainland to help the city.

There was no time for delay. The city was facing a dangerous COVID-19 outbreak, and hospitals and related medical facilities were urgently needed.

Some workers slept in a crowded hall on folding beds packed side by side. Washrooms were few and simple, and workers had to wait in long lines to use them. "I always had to wait until midnight to take a shower," Fan said.

They worked in all weather, rain or shine. Some slept in simple tents, with beds near the ground, and when it rained, water puddled everywhere. Mud was their constant companion.

The hours were long and the stress was high. They worked overtime, often continuing into the night.

People lost weight. But nobody complained. They shared a common cause and pulled together in the weeks between March 8 and 22.

And they got the job done.

After that, Fan, who works for a construction company in Chongqing, returned to the mainland and completed two weeks of quarantine in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Monday. But she said she is ready to return to Hong Kong to help in the fight against COVID-19 if she is needed again.

She was one of the two tower crane commanders responsible for three cranes.

"We were working on a tight deadline," Fan said. "But many workers said they were happy. They were working for the country and for their Hong Kong compatriots."

He Guangqi, an electrician from China Construction Fourth Engineering Division Corp, recalled the daily COVID tests conducted to ensure the safety of the workers and the smooth progress of the project.

Officials were very concerned about the lives and health of the construction workers, he said.

"We were given raincoats and rain shoes, and the meals included fish, meat and other tasty food," he said.

He was mainly responsible for the installation of wash basins, faucets and temporary electrical grounding and wiring in the workers' living quarters.

Like Fan, He noted the poor environment, but he takes pride in the fact that everyone worked hard and persevered. "It was a glorious task given by the State," he said.

Zhang Tongbing, a worker from China Construction Science and Industry Corp, said no one was afraid of fatigue, and nobody shrank from the task, even during heavy rainstorms.

"We were very pleased to see that the hospital had been basically completed when we left Hong Kong," he said.

The speed of the hospital's construction in Lok Ma Chau Loop demonstrated the country's strength, he said.

"A project that is normally scheduled to be done in two years was cut down to less than two months," he added.

The project in Lok Ma Chau Loop includes an emergency hospital for infectious respiratory diseases, makeshift medical facilities and supporting living facilities. It covers about 500,000 square meters.

A few tasks remain, but the hospital was delivered for basic use on Thursday. The facility will include 1,000 patient beds and three operating rooms.

Zhao Yujing and Randy Wright contributed to this story.