Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi said Wednesday in Beijing that China is
going to adopt measures to secure the health of foreigners in the
country.
Wu
met Henk Bekedam, the World Health Organization's (WHO)
representative in China, and other members of a WHO expert team in
Beijing this afternoon and briefed them on the approaches that
China plans to take.
According to Wu, around-the-clock English hotlines and websites are
to be set up in China's major cities to deal with queries
concerning atypical
pneumonia, and hospitals will make special medical service
available to foreigners.
The personnel in foreign embassies, consulates, large corporations
and media will be invited to briefings that will provide up-to-date
information on atypical pneumonia in China and materials on the
prevention of the disease, Wu said.
The relevant educational departments will also brief overseas
students about the latest situation of the disease to ease their
worries, Wu added.
A
tourist card will be given to foreigners on entering China,
notifying them where they can find relevant prevention knowledge
and providing hospital phone numbers.
The sanitation work at public places such as airports and bus
stations will be strengthened and taxis in big cities like Beijing
and Shanghai are required to undergo daily disinfection, Wu
stressed.
Persons having contact with infected persons will be kept under
supervision and inspected by investigation teams made up of
thousands of medical workers, Wu said, adding that the teams are
expected to report and brief on the latest information in a timely
manner.
The WHO experts arrived in Beijing on March 23 at the request of
China's Ministry of Health to work together with Chinese
specialists on atypical pneumonia. They have investigated Beijing
and China's southern province of Guangdong during their visit.
(Xinhua News Agency April 9, 2003)