Beijing, Jan 25 (IANS): Chinese authorities have sent 450 military medics in an effort to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak in the hardest-hit city of Wuhan, it was reported on Saturday.

The medics, in three teams sent by medical universities of the army, navy and air force of the People's Liberation Army, arrived in Wuhan by military aircraft on Friday night, reports Xinhua news agency.

The teams, comprising experts in respiratory health, infectious diseases, hospital infection control and intensive care unit (ICU), will be dispatched to the Wuhan hospitals with large numbers of novel coronavirus-related pneumonia patients, according to the military authorities.

Chinese health authorities announcedon Saturday that 1,287 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, including 237 in critical conditions, had been reported in the country by the end of Friday.

The pneumonia situation had resulted in 41 deaths, the National Health Commission said.

The medics were mobilized from various hospitals affiliated to the military universities. All of them volunteered for the mission.

"We sent our best staff in various clinical departments. They have rich experience in battling contagious diseases," said Zhou Xianzhi, president of Air Force Medical University.

"Some of them took part in major missions such as the battle against SARS and the fight against Ebola in Africa, as well as earthquake rescues."