China's efforts to prevent and treat the SARS (severe acute
respiratory syndrome) epidemic are increasingly standardized and
carried out in an orderly way, and significant achievements have
been made, said a Chinese vice minister of health in Beijing
Tuesday.
Gao Qiang, executive vice health minister, made the remarks at the
opening of a high-level anti-SARS symposium of the ASEAN
(Association of Southeast Asian Nations), China, Japan and the
Republic of Korea.
Gao shared China's anti-SARS measures with the participants:
intensifying the organizational efforts of SARS prevention and
treatment, integrating SARS prevention and control into the legal
system, making every effort to conduct medical treatment and
intensifying scientific study efforts.
But China is fully aware that the fight against SARS in the country
has far from been over, Gao said, adding that the SARS epidemic
situation has just been relieved and there are still unstable
elements to be eliminated.
China still have major tasks to prevent potential relapses and
spread, Gao said. "We must maintain sharp vigilance and continue
the prevention and treatment initiatives unremittingly."
"We shall not relax until the complete success of the fight against
SARS has achieved," Gao said.
At
the beginning of the newly-emerged SARS outbreak in China, Gao
said, the country's emergency alert and response system did not
work appropriately, the emergency preparation was inadequate and
information did not flow smoothly.
(Xinhua News Agency June 4, 2003)