A coach load of Yangquan medics on March 23 [Photo/Yangquan Daily]

The first group of six medics from Yangquan city in North China's Shanxi province -- sent to support Central China's Hubei province in the fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic -- returned to their hometown on March 23, according to local officials. 

Yangquan city held a ceremony to welcome the medics, when Deputy Mayor Li Wenbing -- on behalf of the municipal Party committee, the municipal government, and 1.4 million locals -- saluted them for their braveness and hard work in preventing and controlling the epidemic in Hubei province.

Six medics hold flowers. They were attending the welcome ceremony in Yangquan city, on March 23. [Photo/Yangquan Daily]

The city's first six medics to go to Hubei province were dispatched to serve in Qianjiang Maternal and Child Health Hospital in local Qianjiang city, Xiantao First People's Hospital in Xiantao city and Tianmen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital in Tianmen city over the past 58 days. 

That's according to Li Zhiming, deputy director of the department of respiratory and critical care medicine of Yangquan Coalmine Group General Hospital and one of the six medics. 

Since the outbreak of coronavirus, Yangquan has sent four medical teams, with 88 medical members, to support Hubei province. At present, 82 people are still on duty in Hubei.