Beijing is to establish a news release system for public health
information in a bid to prevent another outbreak of severe acute
respiratory syndrome (SARS).
District leaders will be responsible for SARS prevention in
their districts and a supervision mechanism should be strictly
implemented, said Liang Wannian, deputy director of the Beijing
Health Bureau, at a press conference Wednesday.
Beijing was one of the worst hit regions in the last SARS crisis
and the former mayor was dismissed for delaying the release of SARS
information.
China has stepped up warnings to local authorities against
covering up any new SARS outbreak, which may occur this winter and
next spring. People delaying reporting or hiding the true situation
would be severely punished, warned Chinese Vice Premier Wu
Yi at a national conference on SARS prevention last
Thursday.
The Ministry of Health reactivated its nationwide system of
daily reports on Sept. 19, and it said Wednesday that no new
infections had been reported.
Beijing has set up a wide network to ensure the timely and
accurate report of SARS cases to the authorities, said Deng
Xiaohong, another deputy director of the Beijing Health Bureau. Any
cases that resemble SARS should be given medical observation. The
reporting mechanism was implemented by residential communities in
urban areas and village committees in rural areas.
Deng urges strict SARS prevention measures for places where the
epidemic can easily spread. Public places including schools,
construction sites and railway stations should be kept well
ventilated and sterilized, said Deng. He also asked relevant
departments to improve the living conditions of migrant workers,
whose health is usually not guaranteed.
Civil aviation and quarantine departments in Beijing are also
required to strengthen health inspection and sterilization over
flights coming from abroad.
Beijing has opened 66 special clinics for fever patients to
prevent spread of SARS through hospitals and will finish
examination and repair of medical equipment in Xiaotangshan
Hospital, built during the SARS outbreak in spring of this year,
before the end of November. The city has also stored supplies,
including prevention clothing, disinfectants, medicines, medical
apparatus and diagnosing agents.
According to the World Health Organization, SARS will be the
most serious infectious disease for human beings in the 21st
century. The cause of the disease is still unclear and scientists
have not found effective ways of curing and preventing SARS.
The Beijing Health Bureau signed a cooperation contract on SARS
research Wednesday with the British Medical Research Council to
study SARS prevention.
(China Daily October 16, 2003)