WUHAN, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday went straight to Huoshenshan Hospital after arriving in Wuhan, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, for inspection.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learned about the hospital's operations, treatment of patients, protection for medical workers and scientific research.

He also visited patients who are being treated there and sent regards to medical workers who have been fighting the epidemic on the front line day and night, encouraging them to firm up confidence in defeating the epidemic.

Huoshenshan is a 1,000-bed makeshift hospital built from scratch in just 10 days to specially treat COVID-19 patients.  ■