Medical workers are well prepared to give first aid to the
taikonauts immediately after their landing, Liu Xinmin, deputy
director of China's space center, Sunday said in Siziwang Banner,
Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region.
"Taikonauts are always the most precious part of China's manned
space program, and we always give top priority to their safety,"
said Liu who has just arrived in Siziwang Banner (county), the
primary landing site of Shenzhou VI, China's second manned
spacecraft, in Inner Mongolia.
Medical workers and equipment are already in place in the
primary, secondary and emergency landing sites to provide first-aid
service to the two taikonauts, who were sent in orbit Wednesday
morning, he said.
"We will take five steps to ensure immediate first-aid service
to the taikonauts at the time of their return," Liu said.
Medical teams will arrive at the landing site to make
preparations as soon as the spacecraft begins orbit shift for the
return.
Then they will receive real time data of the key physical
figures of the taikonauts with the help of an ultrashort wave
communication system for a preliminary estimation of their health.
They may also talk with the taikonauts through the system to get
more information, Liu said.
Upon the landing of the re-entry module, medical workers will
reach the capsule and help open the gate of it. They will decide
how the taikonauts get out of the module after their observation
and inquiries about the conditions of the spacemen through the
gate.
The medical workers will help the taikonauts walk out if they
are in normal condition, then the taikonauts will stay at the scene
for a while to re-adapt to gravity before boarding a medical
helicopter to change clothing, get disinfected, have a checkup, and
have their physiological figures and samples collected.
If the taikonauts are in poor condition or are injured, medical
workers will enter the module for preliminary treatment, and then
take them to the helicopter or emergency vehicles for further
first-aid service.
"We have carried out several exercises at each landing site and
immediate first-aid service will be ensured," said Liu.
(Xinhua News Agency October 16, 2005)