38 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 26, 2020 http://www.bjreview.com
BUSINESS
I
n a hospital in Jingmen City, Hubei
Province in central China, Xu Peifeng
intently watched the monitor of a ven-
tilator, which was pulsing with waves and
graphics. He needed to adjust the ventilator
to provide patients with oxygen when they
were unable to breathe on their own. “We
must fully understand the condition of pa-
tients’ lungs before we set the parameters to
help them,” Xu said.
The respiratory therapist from the Sir Run
Run Shaw Hospital affiliated with Zhejiang
University School of Medicine in Zhejiang
Province in east China came to Jingmen as
a member of a medical team to support lo-
cal hospitals amid the outbreak of the novel
coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
These therapists have provided life
support in the treatment of COVID-19. At
present, a large number of respiratory thera-
pists like Xu are working at the frontline
to assist doctors and provide personalized
respiratory treatment to patients, especially
those in critical condition. By formulating ap-
propriate treatment plans, they help improve
the recovery rate of critical patients.
Xu’s profession was among the 16 new
ones given official recognition in a state-
ment jointly issued by the Ministry of Human
Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) and
other departments on February 25. As the
Chinese economy shifts toward high-Tuality
development, new jobs reTuiring new skills
and knowledge have emerged in various in-
dustries in recent years.
“The core driver of new professions is,
Ķ rst and foremost, the explosion in demand,”
Chen Yu, Director of the China Institute for
Occupation Research at Peking University,
said to Guangming Daily, adding that with
people’s increasing demand for high-Tuality
life and consumption, more occupations will
be generated in fields such as modern ser-
vices.New forces
After Ķ nishing their daily work at the front-
line, Xu and his colleagues also provide
short-term training in respiratory treatment
to other medical workers at designated
hospitals. According to the MOHRSS, spe-
cialized respiratory therapists are urgently
needed in China.
The 16 new professions also include
intelligent manufacturing technicians,
industrial Internet technicians, virtual real-
ity technicians, supply chain managers,
artiĶ cial intelligence trainers, and all-media
operators, according to the statement.
Some have already become irreplaceable
forces in the nationwide battle against
COVID-19.
Built and delivered in just 10 days,
Huoshenshan, the specialty hospital to
treat patients infected with the virus,
demonstrated the strength and speed
of construction in China. Another hospi-
tal, Leishenshan, was later delivered on
February 8. The successful construction of
the two hospitals in such a short period of
time can be largely attributed to prefabri-
cated building constructors.
The facilities consist of prefabricated
units that can be built offsite and thenassembled in place to save time. The mod-
ules are separated by outdoor spaces and
connected by corridors.
During this period, a large number of
workers played their part by installing com-
ponents and contributing to the progress
of the project.
In addition, intelligent robots have
been assisting medical workers to provide
remote diagnosis, online medical consulta-More New
Professionals
On the Block
China unveils new occuSations to keeS Sace with
economic and technological develoSment
By Ma Miaomiao