The United States and China can share more experience in medical
and health service, said Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary of US
Department of Health and Human Services, during his visit to
southwest China's Sichuan Province.
US Health and Human Services Secretary
Mike Leavitt and his wife Jacalyn play with panda cubs during a
visit to a raising center in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province,
yesterday.
Leavitt, who started his 10-day visit to China on Dec.7 at the
invitation of Chinese Ministry of Health, visited rural clinics,
medical stations and hospitals in Sichuan during his three-day
visit.
He was briefed by provincial health officials on local medical
infrastructures and disease control.
In Suining City's Tangjia township, Leavitt visited an
eight-year-old girl who recovered from the H5N1 strain of bird flu
in May. Leavitt praised local hospitals' rapid response to and
proper treatment of the disease.
Health cooperation between the two countries should begin
through people-to-people exchanges, he said.
During his meeting on Saturday with Jiang Jufeng, vice-governor
of Sichuan, Leavitt said he hopes the United States and Sichuan
will boost cooperation as the province boasts great potential on
pharmaceutical and chemical industry.
According to the Sichuan health department, the province has
conducted a series of medical cooperation with the United States
since 1993.
A MOU signed between Sichuan Province and Utah this year has
boosted large-scale cooperation on the research and development of
traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) such as TCM treatment, education
and academic exchanges, the department said.
Leavitt left Sichuan for Guangdong Province Sunday
afternoon.
(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2006)
