Sumayyah Hosany, a Mauritian doctor, decided to stay in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, in February while COVID-19 was rapidly spreading throughout China.
Together with her husband Hamad Abdul Zahir, a Pakistani doctor, she did all she could to help locals fight the epidemic.
"I'm really proud that I've got the chance to give back," Sumayyah said.
Sumayyah, 31, came to China at the age of 18. She studied at Wenzhou Medical University for eight years and obtained a master's degree in clinical medicine.
She and her husband now work at Panhealth Medical Center in Wenzhou. They volunteered at a highway checkpoint south of Wenzhou during the epidemic, checking travelers' IDs, taking their temperatures and inquiring about their travel history.
"We really want to do our part, no matter how small it is," Sumayyah said. "I worked with policemen, nurses, doctors from other hospitals, and people at the grassroots level. I felt a sense of connection and now I feel I'm more part of the culture and more part of the country."
"For me, as a Pakistani, since we were born, the only thing we know is the Pakistan-China friendship," Hamad said.
"Whenever we needed any kind of support, China was always standing with us and still is. All these things give warmth to your heart. So it's an honor, to be honest."
Sumayyah's parents were worried about her at first and urged her and her husband to return as soon as possible, but eventually they began supporting their decision to stay in China.
On March 18, Mauritius reported its first three confirmed cases, causing panic among the public and sparking rumors and misinformation.
Sumayyah made short videos on the basics of epidemic prevention and posted them on social media platforms to teach her friends and family back home how to protect themselves.
Sumayyah also visited the Wenzhou Central Hospital to learn about professional epidemic prevention practices and shared with doctors in Mauritius and Pakistan.
When she learned that Mauritius was in need of preventive supplies, Sumayyah turned to the Panhealth Medical Center for help and received a positive response, not only from the hospital, but also from the governments of Wenzhou and several other cities.
A batch of face masks, protective suits, goggles and temperature scanners were sent from China to Mauritius and Pakistan in April.
"COVID-19 is the enemy of all mankind," said Xue Zhihui, director of the Panhealth Medical Center in Wenzhou. "We cannot turn a blind eye to Mauritius, let alone Sumayyah's great contributions to the COVID-19 fight in Wenzhou and in China."
