Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Thursday China will enhance the
enforcement of SARS-related laws and regulations to fight against
the epidemic.
It
is of great importance to issue the new regulations on public
health emergencies when the country is making every effort to fight
against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), said Wen at a
State Council meeting for the enforcement of the regulations.
The new regulations signal that China is improving its legal system
to deal with public health emergencies, he added.
According to the new rules, governments of all levels will set up a
headquarters to handle emergencies, Wen said, and the public health
administrations will set up an information network from provincial
to village level to collect and update information on the
situation.
No
individual and no administration will be allowed to tamper with or
delay the reporting of information, he added.
China will set up disease control and prevention centers at all
levels and improve the hospitals' capacity to deal with
emergencies, Wen said.
Specialized hospitals must be founded or hospitals capable of
treating epidemics must be designated in all provinces and
prefectures to handle emergencies of epidemics, he added.
The governments of provincial level must set up fast-acting medical
teams for emergency response, he said.
Wen urged governments of all levels to publicize the new
regulations, cope with SARS in line with the regulations and punish
those violating the rules in accordance with laws.
The people's congresses at all levels will make every effort to
help the government carry out the new regulations, said Wang
Zhaoguo, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National
People's Congress (NPC), at the meeting.
The committees of the Chinese Political Consultative Conference
(CPPCC) of all levels will take an active part in helping implement
the regulations, said Wang Zhongyu, vice-chairman of the CPPCC
National Committee.
(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2003)