Special report: Strong Earthquake Jolts SW China

    BEIJING, May 15 -- Nearly 300 hospitals in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, are working to treat and save the injured from quake-hit areas. As rescue work continues, more people are being saved and sent to hospitals for treatment.

Nearly 300 hospitals in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, are working to treat and save the injured from quake-hit areas. As rescue work continues, more people are being saved and sent to hospitals for treatment.(Photo: CCTV.com) Photo Gallery>>>

    CCTV reporter Liu Ying said, "I'm outside the emergency room of the West China Hospital of the Sichuan University. It's been designated to receive the most severely injured patients from the quake-hit areas. Staff are standing by. And as rescue work continues, more and more patients are arriving."

    The West China hospital has received nearly 500 patients from different disaster areas in the province as of Wednesday afternoon since the earthquake took place.

    The first batch of over 50 survivors from Yingxiu township of Wenchuan County, the epicenter of the 7.8 multitude earthquake, was successfully rescued by military helicopters and sent to the hospital around the noon time Wednesday.

    This senior high school student is one of them. He's relatively lucky, got his foot fractured when trying to escape from the classroom.

    A survivor from Wenchuan County said, "I was extremely scared when the quake took place. Almost all the houses in our county have collapsed. So far there are still two of my classmates being trapped under the school building."

    Doctors are doing their best to save the injured. Most of the patients are seriously wounded as they have been trapped for over 48 hours after the quaked. As of Wednesday afternoon, six patients who were sent to the Chengdu West China Hospital died.

    Zeng Zhi, vice president of West China Hospital, said, "The status of their injury is very serious. Some are rescued from under the collapsed houses and others are being saved by officers after the troop succeeded to enter the Wenchuan county. Some of them got their bones fractured, some heads, some got wounded in belly, chest or limbs. All are severely injured."

    As rescue efforts proceed, batches of ambulance, military disaster-relief vehicles, and civil trucks are sending the injured from different disastrous areas in Sichuan province to the hospital. Some are being transferred from other hospitals where the medical conditions are not very good.

    Many citizens offered their helping hand to send the injured to the hospital by driving their own cars. This woman drove for over one hour to send patients here from Shi Fang town to the north of Chengdu.

    A volunteer said, "My children have not been affected by the quake. I'm just trying to do what I can to help."

    Doctors are working around the clock to save the lives of the patients. Many of them have been working for over 20 hours. The hospital has also given their best support and prepared more than 600 hospital beds to receive patients. But they say they may need more doctors to provide medical treatment to the injured who may arrive in the coming days.

    (Source: CCTV.com)