Beijing will step up efforts to build a prevention and treatment
network for infectious diseases before the 2008 Olympics, the
municipal health authorities pledged on Saturday to mark the World
Health Day.
By the end of 2007, Beijing will have 1,350 hospital beds
specially prepared for patients who contract infectious diseases.
By the time the Olympics rolls around in August 2008, the city will
have another 5,000 hospital beds prepared for emergency use,
according to the Beijing Disease Prevention and Control Center.
In addition, Beijing is expanding the Ditan Hospital and You'an
Hospital, two hospitals specially designated for the treatment of
infectious diseases. Another 142 hospitals have set up outpatient
departments for diagnosing and treating infectious diseases.
According to the center, in the past the outbreak of an
infectious disease might not be reported in Beijing for up to a
week. Now, with health officials much more conscious of the need to
release information promptly, the delay has been reduced to less
than ten hours.
Nineteen medical teams are receiving training to deal with
possible emergency public heath problems.
The health network also includes 50 infectious disease research
labs, including six working on SARS and 16 on bird flu, the health
authorities said.
(Xinhua News Agency April 8, 2007)