As multiple regions in China have seen surging COVID-19 infections, respiratory departments at hospitals are enduring pressures from shortages of medical staff and resources.

"Our RICU, or respiratory and critical care medicine department has received so many patients with respiratory failure combined with COVID-19 infections," said Xiang Pingchao, secretary of the Party Committee and ICU Director at Peking University Shougang Hospital.

Xiang said the number of patients at respiratory department has doubled. But this is not the hospital's only burden.

"We were extremely short of medics at respiratory department and emergency treatment," Xiang told CGTN, adding that they were among the earliest to get infected, and many of them keep working despite illness.

To better relieve personnel pressure so as to provide timely medical treatment, the hospital has shifted its focus.

"We've added two more wards for common COVID-19 patients starting from Monday, calling for Orthopedics department and general surgery to receive complication patients with COVID-19 infections, so as to guarantee medical treatment services in a timely manner," Xiang continued.

Based on the fast movements, the respiratory department is not the only one to regain the order.

"Our hospital has allocated doctors and nurses from other departments to help us," said Zhu Zhenzhong, director of the Emergency Department, adding that his department got large amounts of patients every day, but the work is conducted in an orderly manner now.

Noting the number of patients in the respiratory department has been rising since late last month, Xiang said many of them have underlying diseases and other medical conditions.

But he attributed the rise not only to COVID-19, but also to the patients' medical conditions that are prone to deterioration during the cold winter months as well as to the seasonal diseases that normally witness a steep rise at this time of the year.