The Chinese government has allocated 50 million yuan (US$6.25 million) from the state budget to reinforce the fight against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the Ministry of Finance announced Thursday.

China's northern provinces of Hebei and Shanxi and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region had received 10 million yuan (US$1.21 million) each, and the Municipality of Tianjin 20 million yuan (US$2.42 million).

The special subsidy allocation would be used to cover the medical expanses of rural probable and suspected SARS patients, and urban SARS patients facing financial difficulties, said a ministry spokesman.

The money would also cover the costs of restructuring fever clinics of county hospitals in underdeveloped regions and the purchase of badly needed medical facilities.

It was the fourth allocation within a month from China's state budget to finance local anti-SARS activities, said the spokesman, revealing the total special subsidies amounted to 440 million yuan (US$53.23 million).

The number of new SARS cases in China had eased, but the situation remained critical, said the spokesman, noting that China would pay close attention to the development of local SARS situations and subsidize local measures against the disease.

(Xinhua News Agency May 22, 2003)