Workers load and unload carts of anti-epidemic materials at the Wuhan Tianhe Airport on Feb 2, 2020. [Photo by Chen Xiaodong and Li Wei/chinadaily.com.cn]

By ZHAO LEI

The People’s Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force has been making all-out efforts to purchase materials badly needed in the fight against the ongoing novel coronavirus epidemic.

In response to the outbreak, which has affected the whole country, the force went into emergency mode and sent its purchasers to look for urgently needed materials in the market, it said in a statement on Wednesday.

The purchasers asked suppliers to start and expand production as soon as possible and have worked with customs and the transport sector across China to speed up the import and transportation of anti-epidemic or medical materials, it added. Transactions for urgently needed materials were handled with simplified procedures to accelerate the process.

The PLA Joint Logistic Support Force has now finished the purchase of 16 kinds of anti-epidemic and medical materials and has set up a steady supply chain for medics involved in the fight against the highly contagious form of pneumonia linked to the new coronavirus.

Thanks to the efforts, domestic companies are making more than 10,000 protective suits for military medical personnel each day, and over two million face masks have been imported from around the world.