The Ministry of Health has issued a notice requiring stricter supervision of food producers and traders, especially restaurants and school dining halls, in a bid to prevent food poisoning cases.

According to the notice, health departments will close down food manufacturers without official sanitary licenses, and strengthen supervision and technological direction for those having licenses.

The health departments at all levels are also demanded by the notice to follow the system of reporting food poisoning cases and to make good preparations for emergency rescue efforts.

First-aid stations and first-aid departments in hospitals should operate around the clock, the notice says.

Meanwhile, the fire protection work and security in medical treatment were also highlighted in the notice, which echoed the appeal for a nationwide security crackdown made by the State Council on Feb. 16.

The government has shown great concern for public security, and is making all-out efforts to prevent deadly accidents in crowded public places, after two fires in Jilin and Zhejiang provinces, respectively, killed 93 people on Feb. 15, and a stampede during a Lantern Festival celebration killed 37 people in Beijing's suburban Miyun County on Feb. 5.

(Xinhua News Agency February 19, 2004)