At 7 a.m. on a hot and humid summer morning, Xu Chunjuan begins her nursing work with her medical unit in the "Bird's Nest," or the National Stadium.
On the central grounds of the stadium, the rehearsal for the Aug. 8 opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics was in full swing. Loud and exciting music was rocking the 91,000-seat stadium.
At around 10 a.m., an actress came and told Xu she felt dizzy. After quickly checking her temperature and blood pressure, she assured the woman she was fine and needed some rest.
Since July 8 when the rehearsal began at the stadium, the 33-year-old Xu has been working at her medical unit and offering medical service for the rehearsal.
"We are making final preparations for the Olympic Games. By then, we will provide the best medical services for athletes, sports officials, media people and spectators," she told Xinhua.
Xu, who has been a nurse for nearly 10 years at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, not far from the Bird's Nest, became a member of the stadium's medical team after passing exams on foreign-language speaking and professional skills.
"I am so proud and honored to have been chosen as member of the team," she said smiling.
COVERING THE WHOLE BIRD'S NEST
Xu's medical unit is in the athletes-only area of the stadium. There are six other units covering areas for spectators, VIPs and media people, as well as warm-up facilities for athletes. On the ground of the stadium, 10 medical posts will be set up during the Games.
The Bird's Nest is the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics. It will also host the track and field events and some football games.
The Bird's Nest medical team consists of more than 170 excellent doctors, nurses, first-aid officers and paramedics. They were chosen from nine Beijing-based hospitals, according to Peng Mingqiang, head of the team.
More than 80 of the members came from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, said Peng, also the hospital's vice director. His hospital was the only medical institution designated by the Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG) to receive athletes, coaches and sports experts during the Olympiad.
"We are one of the internationalized hospitals and the first to have international wards in Beijing. Patients from more than 100 countries have come to us," he said during an earlier interview with the China Daily.
Peng said his entire team had been under intensive training in foreign-language speaking and first-aid skills since last August.
The Bird's Nest would have 10 ambulances on standby during the Games. All ambulances are equipped with basic medical apparatus such as lifesaving equipment and a stretcher.
In addition, volunteers would be circulating around the spectator areas and extend help to anyone who felt uncomfortable, Peng said.