A photo of Pan Jiming and his wife. Chongqing policeman Pan, 51, passed away on duty from a heart attack on Feb 16, 2020. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

After working 20 days without a break on the front line of the battle against the novel coronavirus, Chongqing policeman Pan Jiming went to work as usual on Feb 16.

The 51-year-old's wife was concerned for his health after he underwent a heart procedure last year. "Don't worry. I can carry on," he reassured her.

Unfortunately, Pan suffered a fatal heart attack on duty, while educating residents on how to protect themselves during the epidemic. His death touched millions of Chinese, even as the fight against the contagion raged. The Ministry of Public Security sent its condolences to Pan's family.

He (Pan Jiming) always put residents’ needs ahead of his own. To me, he was both a teacher and friend

Ma Junfei, Pan’s colleague

"He was a considerate man," Luo Qingyuan, a resident living in the area served by Pan, said, as he fought back tears. "He was so helpful. He reminded me to wear a face mask the last time we met."

Pan worked at the Fengwen police station under the Shapingba branch of the Chongqing Public Security Bureau.

He had been involved in epidemic control work since the city initiated a first-level response to the public health emergency on Jan 24.

Prevention and control work in the area served by the Fengwen police station is challenging because the area is home to a huge number of migrant workers. After the Spring Festival holiday, migrant workers started returning to the city, increasing pressure on the health measures.

Volunteer work

Pan volunteered to shoulder the difficult task of patrolling, and visiting every home to assess residents' health and travel histories.

Within a week, he and his colleagues had visited nearly 80,000 residents, accounting for 30,000 families. At about 10 pm on Feb 11,10 people returned from Hunan province, but were not allowed to enter their rented houses in the community. Tired and helpless, they called Pan, who came to them immediately.

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After explaining the epidemic regulations about entering the community, Pan found medical staff members to conduct health checks on them and then sent them home. He stayed with them until they reached their homes, and educated them on the quarantine procedures.

When six residents were suspected of being infected with the novel coronavirus, Pan and his colleagues visited the families to collect samples for medical tests. He also reassured them about the prevention and control policies in place.

One day later, he joined efforts to quarantine the buildings in which the suspected patients lived, to prevent further infections. He didn't return home until 4 am. The suspected patients, who were taken to hospital for treatment, were later confirmed to have contracted the virus.

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Pan worked long hours helping patients in quarantine, visiting residents twice a day to take their temperatures and bring them daily necessities. Ma Junfei, one of Pan's colleagues, said "he always put residents' needs ahead of his own. To me, he was both a teacher and friend."

Pan joined the military in 1987 and became a policeman after retiring from the People's Liberation Army in 2005. Over the past 15 years, he helped residents with various issues.