The municipal government of Shanghai started building a special
medical emergency control center this week that is expected to
start operation next year.
In case of emergency, medical professionals from around the city
will gather at the center to co-ordinate treatment.
"Medical emergencies could have very serious consequences if we
can't get the situation under control as quickly as possible,
especially since Shanghai is such a super-sized metropolis," said
Song Guofan, spokesperson for the Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau.
"We've had grave lessons in this regard, such as the SARS (severe
acute respiratory syndrome) breakout three years ago."
The center is expected to be able to handle all sorts of
emergency outbreaks, from epidemic diseases like SARS, bird flu or
hepatitis A, to serious accidents that endanger public health, such
as a chemical leakage or explosion, Song said.
The center will dispatch medical staff to the site of the
emergency to handle the medical response. They will bring all
necessary equipment with them, whether they have to carry out a
rescue or bring a situation under control.
The center will also build up an information and operations
network so it can dispatch medical professionals from all of
Shanghai's 19 districts and counties, said Song.
"Honestly, our capabilities in dispatching medical professionals
to emergencies are already quite good," Song said. "Shanghai has
the best physicians and disease-control experts in China. With the
help of modern communications, we can respond immediately to
emergencies."
After the outbreak of SARS in 2003, the municipality drew up a
three-year plan to strengthen its public health system. The
emergency response center is an important part of that plan and
tops the city's development plans.
(China Daily December 25, 2006)