A member of the national emergency medical rescue team from Tianjin gestures before leaving Wuhan, Hubei province, on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Seven teams of medical personnel totaling 1,294 staff, who have been assisting Wuhan and Enshi Tujia autonomous prefecture in Hubei province in their fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, return to the port city.

Four separate flights brought the staff back to Tianjin yesterday. One nurse said in an interview: "We have fulfilled our mission and followed our hearts to save our people. I am deeply appreciative of all the enthusiasm and courage of the people of Wuhan, all the volunteers and police, and especially, all the patients, for working with us. In them we saw hope and felt love. We are comrades-in-arms and we have become a family. Our hearts are with Wuhan all the time."