Medical workers are well prepared to give first aid to the taikonauts immediately after their landing, Liu Xinmin, deputy director of China's space center, Sunday said in Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

"Taikonauts are always the most precious part of China's manned space program, and we always give top priority to their safety," said Liu who has just arrived in Siziwang Banner (county), the primary landing site of Shenzhou VI, China's second manned spacecraft, in Inner Mongolia.

Medical workers and equipment are already in place in the primary, secondary and emergency landing sites to provide first-aid service to the two taikonauts, who were sent in orbit Wednesday morning, he said.

"We will take five steps to ensure immediate first-aid service to the taikonauts at the time of their return," Liu said.

Medical teams will arrive at the landing site to make preparations as soon as the spacecraft begins orbit shift for the return.

Then they will receive real time data of the key physical figures of the taikonauts with the help of an ultrashort wave communication system for a preliminary estimation of their health. They may also talk with the taikonauts through the system to get more information, Liu said.

Upon the landing of the re-entry module, medical workers will reach the capsule and help open the gate of it. They will decide how the taikonauts get out of the module after their observation and inquiries about the conditions of the spacemen through the gate.

The medical workers will help the taikonauts walk out if they are in normal condition, then the taikonauts will stay at the scene for a while to re-adapt to gravity before boarding a medical helicopter to change clothing, get disinfected, have a checkup, and have their physiological figures and samples collected.

If the taikonauts are in poor condition or are injured, medical workers will enter the module for preliminary treatment, and then take them to the helicopter or emergency vehicles for further first-aid service.

"We have carried out several exercises at each landing site and immediate first-aid service will be ensured," said Liu.

(Xinhua News Agency October 16, 2005)