"The coronavirus battlefield is where I fulfill my duties as a deputy to the National People's Congress," said Zhang Boli, adding that he will strive to modernize traditional Chinese medicine with the help of the progress made in the anti-virus fight.

The 72-year-old medical expert braved the risk of infection to work on the front line starting Jan 26 and struck to his post despite sudden illness. He did not have a break in the anti-virus fight until he went back to Tianjin on April 16.

Zhang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, prescribed TCM in makeshift hospitals in Wuhan, Hubei province.

He was invited to share China's experience gained in the anti-virus fight with international peers and has made great contributions to the world's anti-COVID-19 pandemic struggle.

On Jan 26, the second day of the Chinese lunar new year, he was asked to join a leading medical expert team to guide treatment in Wuhan, the city hardest hit by the COVID-19 on the Chinese mainland. Without any hesitation, he was engaged in outbreak prevention.

After visiting local hospitals, Zhang suggested the use of TCM in treating people in collective isolation, which not only helped seize the critical period of treatment but also eased the mood of patients. His proposal was approved by the expert team.

Thanks to his prescription, many patients' symptoms were greatly lessened after they took the TCM for two or three days.

Zhang led a TCM team to support a makeshift cabin hospital in Jiangxia district on Feb 12. 

None of the 564 patients treated in the hospital became critically ill during the 26-day operation that began on Feb 14, after the hospital adopted TCM treatment such as acupoint massage and moxibustion on all patients.

At that time, Zhang worked around the clock, busily guiding treatment, visiting patients, and prescribing TCM remedies, which caused cholecystitis and great pain.

On Feb 19, Zhang had his cholecyst removed but returned to his battlefield a few days later. 

To promote TCM modernization and safeguard people's health has been his unremitting pursuit. As a medical expert, Zhang has been busy in research and treating patients over the past decades; as a NPC deputy, he has been an active advocate for TCM, often visiting hospitals, enterprises and institutions.

According to Zhang, he has been fully engaged in the draft law of TCM. At this year's annual sessions of China's top legislature and political advisory body he said he would suggest integrating TCM in infectious disease prevention and treatment as well as treatment of patients with critical diseases.

He fulfills his duties as a NPC deputy and as a voice for the people, working through concrete actions based on professional knowledge.