The Beijing health authorities conducted a two-day inspection of
SARS prevention and control work over the weekend, the first such
investigation since the capital was removed from the list of areas
with recent local transmission by the World Health Organization
(WHO) late last month.
The inspection and a series of actions aim to protect the city from
new possible SARS outbreaks in winter and spring, said Han Demin,
executive vice-director of the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau and
director of the Beijing SARS Prevention and Control Office, which
was established to replace parts of the functions of the former
joint working team for SARS prevention and treatment.
"The inspection proved that the fever clinics and other prevention
measures have not slackened in the two weeks since Beijing was
declared SARS free," he said in an exclusive interview.
Han said the prevention and control measures remain effective. But
sources said the overall result of the inspection will not be out
until today.
The inspection, which ended yesterday, focused on the 24 designated
fever clinics among all 66 such clinics in Beijing's hospitals,
district-level health bureaus and local centers for disease control
and prevention by a 40-member expert team in four groups.
Inspections like this will continue in the future to guarantee the
health of the city, said the official.
Beijing's actions echoed the urging of WHO Director-General Gro
Harlem Brundtland to continue vigilance and sensitive surveillance
for SARS in the areas that were most affected.
Brundtland made the remarks at a WHO virtual press briefing on
Saturday in Geneva.
Preparing for the next outbreak requires restoring and
strengthening the public healthcare infrastructure, she said.
More epidemiologists and other public health specialists are
needed. Better surveillance and response systems must be
established which include strong links between national, regional
and global reporting mechanisms.
"SARS is teaching us many lessons," said Brundtland. "Now we must
translate those lessons into action. We may have very little time,
and we must use it wisely."
(China Daily July 7, 2003)