Southwest China's Sichuan Province has deployed its first batch of 138 aid workers on Saturday to help with the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan. It comes after over 1,000 cases have been confirmed across the country.

The medics were called up overnight on the very first day of the Chinese New Year to join the fight against the outbreak in the quarantine zone.

Most of them are from respiratory and critical care departments at top-level hospitals in Sichuan, including the West China Hospital and the Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital.

"The outbreak of this new strain of coronavirus has reached its most critical point. In this time of danger, you, as professionals, have shown the courage to take responsibility and the courage to contribute to society," said Song Shigui, deputy director of the Sichun Health Commission at a pep-rally on Saturday.

Just hours before their departure, medics took crash courses on removing protective gear at their respective hospitals. He Na, a senior nurse at West China Hospital (WCH), told CGTN that removing protective gear the wrong way increases the chances of infection.

"If it gets infected, it would easily spread the virus to others in hospitals," she said.

Professor Luo Fengming, an expert in respiratory diseases from WCH, is among the 139-member team. He's experienced in emergency medical services, like the outbreak of viral respiratory illness severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and spent six months working in São Tomé and Príncipe in Africa on a medical assistance program. He said the safety of medics is based on adequate medical supplies and self-protection skills.

Despite the preparedness, it's still a tough situation, even for relatives and family members. Some of them expressed their anxiety over the safety of their friends and loved ones.

The medics have brought medical supplies, including face masks and protective gear, with them and are expected to stay in the quarantine zone in central China's Wuhan for at least 15 days.