Dr Mei Zhongming, a doctor in Wuhan who worked side by side with late heroic coronavirus whistle-blower Dr Li Wenliang has also died of the disease after contracting it while fighting the outbreak. Dr Mei’s co-worker Dr Li, 34, died of the coronavirus on February 7 having contracted it from his patients.
The 57 year old, was declared dead by Wuhan’s Jinyintan Hospital on 3rd March at noon local time after ‘all-out rescue efforts failed’, said Wuhan Central Hospital where he worked.
Dr Mei worked in the same department as Dr Li, who was punished for sounding the alarm over the coronavirus outbreak before it spread and then died of the infection last month.
Dr Mei specialised in treating eye diseases and had worked in the department of ophthalmology at Wuhan Central Hospital since his graduation from university in 1986.
‘He was serious and responsible for his work, acted patiently and carefully with his patients and made important contributions to the construction and development of his discipline,’ the hospital said in a statement.
‘We express sincere condolences to the passing of comrade Mei Zhongming of our hospital and extend deep sympathy to his family,’ it added.
The hospital although did not explain when Dr Mei was diagnosed with the coronavirus.
Since the outbreak started last December, at least 26 Chinese medical workers who dedicated themselves to fighting the epidemic have died, including 13 of them who died after contracting the disease, according to Chinese news outlet Caixin.
