A Beijing Olympic Games Organizing Committee official said on Thursday that medical services for the Games are ready.

Dai Jianping, vice director of the Games Services Department of the organizing committee, said at a press conference that the city has set up 157 medical stations, dispatched 191 ambulances and more than 3,000 medical volunteers to 31 competition venues, 45 independent training places and 10 non-competition venues to provide medical services.

"Six co-host cities, including Qingdao, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao, will provide equally high-quality medical services to the Games participants and spectators," Dai said.

In the six cities, eight medical stations have been established for athletes, 26 for spectators, and 37 at training places and non-competition venues. Up to now, all the medical stations have been in operation, said Dai.

"Our aim is to provide timely response to every medical request without any delay, " said Dai.

Deng Xiaohong, deputy director of Beijing Municipal Health Bureau, said 24 hospitals, including the Emergency Medical Services and Peking Union Medical College, have been selected as designated medical service providers for the Beijing Olympic Games.

China-Japan Friendship Hospital shall render services to athletes, coaches and judges, Peking Union Medical College shall cater to Olympic Committee officials and VIPs, Anzhen Hospital shall provide medical treatment to journalists. Other hospitals shall organize and deploy on-site medical service teams in Olympic venues and exclusive Olympic zones.

"A stable team of blood donors who can supply whole blood, blood components and rare blood types have been formed to meet the blood demand during the Olympic Games," Deng said.

A disease reporting network has also been deployed. During the Games, 22 designated hospitals will put surveillance on five infectious diseases, such as diarrhoea and rash 24 hours a day.

A food safety monitoring network has been established in eight districts of the city proper. More than 60 test indicators are used to examine the food for the Games, such as meat, aquatic products and vegetables, she said.

Government departments have examined sanitation in 83 Olympic venues and relevant facilities. More than 20,000 catering staff have finished physical examination.

Rehearsals on providing medical service simultaneously to batches of wounded people have been made several times to deal with emergencies, Deng said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 31, 2008)