Assuming the Mission in a Critical Situation — Bravery in the Face of Difficulty — The Story of How an Alphenix System Started Operation at The People’s Hospital of Tonghua City in Jilin Province

On March 13, the system arrived at the Hospital amid heavy snowfall, and Mr. Du and Mr. Tao unloaded the system with the help of a logistics operator.
The installation work began on March 15, but auxiliary equipment necessary for the installation of the system had not arrived yet due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Despite this, the two engineers began their work with the firm determination that the work should not be delayed, and the system should be in operation as soon as possible.

Since the spread of COVID-19, The People’s Hospital of Tonghua City has been responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of all non-COVID-19 patients in Tonghua City and its adjacent areas. Because of this situation, the existing system (one of our previous systems) had been used heavily. So the Alphenix system was highly anticipated and attracted much attention. The senior management of Tonghua City's health committee, which oversees the medical system in the city and adjacent areas, gave high priority to the installation and operation of the system, and cooperated closely with the Hospital’s executives and the medical staff from each clinical department.

Installation procedures for Angiography systems, from arrival and unloading of cargo to test operation, usually take about half a month to complete. This time however, it took 10 or more extra days to finish the installation work due to the many challenges. We asked Mr. Du and Mr. Tao, "You have not seen your family for almost a month. How do you feel?" Mr. Du replied on Mr. Tao’s behalf with humor, "Mr. Tao's kid is only one and a half years old and soon will not remember him." Then Mr. Du explained with a smile, "I am an experienced engineer with over 20 years of experience. I regularly make phone calls and video calls to my family while on business trips, they are already used to it." (After this, Mr. Du may have to isolate again for the third time. If so, when will he be able to return home?) The two engineers further commented:

We must ensure that our systems operate normally. Our job is like a competition to save lives. Many healthcare professionals are using our systems every day to save lives despite the spread of COVID-19 or the occurrence of a sudden flood. This means that our responsibility is great. We are on the front line to ensure stable and normal operation of the systems for healthcare professionals and patients! Even if we face a critical situation again in the future, we will do our best for our users and for society without hesitation.

(Mr.Du Lizhong returned safely to his home in Shenyang on April 10, 2022. Mr. Tao Hongwei returned safely to his home in Zhengzhou on April 16, 2022.)

Mr. Du and Mr. Tao are typical examples of Canon Medical Systems staff, and many of our colleagues are also working at the forefront of medical care. They are just like Mr. Du and Mr. Tao, sometimes they have to sacrifice time with their families, but they are working in critical situations and contributing to the company which is like a large family for us. They sometimes talk enthusiastically about our systems, but they rarely talk about the difficulties they experience. They are aware that it is their responsibility to deal with such difficulties.
It is our important mission to ensure timely delivery of services to our users. To achieve this mission, Canon Medical Systems engineers assume the responsibility to stand at the front line. We would like to express our sincere respect to all of our colleagues and the medical professionals who are working at the forefront of medical care. //