Special report: Strong Earthquake Jolts SW China
Chinese health ministry sends 10
medical teams to quake-hit areas
BEIJING, May 12
(Xinhua) -- China's Health Ministry said Monday it had sent 10 emergency medical
teams to quake-hit Wenchuan County in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
The teams comprised medical and epidemic prevention
experts from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and local
health bureaus of Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangdong and Shandong, a ministry
spokesman said.
The ministry said it was organizing more back-up
teams to help with the rescue efforts.
The Health Ministry urged the teams to assess
casualties and the medical needs of the victims and to make arrangements
accordingly.
It also promised to closely monitor the situation in
affected provinces and to coordinate the medical relief work.
So far there has been more than 7,000 injured people
hospitalized for further treatment, according to local health department.
The Organization Department of the Central Committee
of the Communist Party of China (CPC) urged local Party organs and governments
to mobilize more officials to get on front line and engage in disaster
relieving.
The Ministry of Education has ordered local
educational authorities to mobilize schools especially elementary schools and
kindergartens to make preparations for self-protection and helping each other
for possible aftershocks.
On Monday evening, another medical team of 22 medical
experts dispatched by the General Hospital of Armed Police Forces left from
Nanyuan Airport in Beijing.
The destination of the team was reported as the
epicenter of the quake Wenchuan, but the landing location has not been clarified
by the hospital.
The team's leader Hou Shike said the team's 13 men
and nine women were qualified in disaster rescue work and were experienced.
The team were equipped to carry out all-weather and
all-terrain operations, Hou said.
The team has also been equipped with satellite phones
for communication with Beijing, he added.
The All-China Federation of Trade Unions has
appropriated one million yuan (about 143,000 U.S. dollars) to its affiliate in
Sichuan Province to help people suffering from the disaster with basic lives.
The Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) has sent 557
tents and 2,500 quilts valued at 788,000 yuan (113,000 U.S. dollars) to Wenchuan
County, after the quake.
The Red Cross Society of Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region also donated 500,000 yuan (about 71,400 U.S. dollars) to
the disaster hit areas via RCSC for local Red Cross societies to help people.
China Life, a major insurance company in the country,
was collecting damage information from accessible insurants, according to the
company.
The National Tourism Administration has issued a
warning to the public which asked local travel agencies to halt all planned
journeys destined to the quake hit areas or passing by the areas.
For the traveling groups that have already set out to
the quake areas, local tourism administrations should stop them and inform the
travelers with the situation, the warning said.
It also advised the public not to plan a visit to the
quake hit areas in near future.
Immediately after the quake, the Sichuan health
bureau dispatched 13 medical contingents of 40 people to Wenchuan county.
The Ministry of Public Security issued a notice on
Monday requiring local police authorities to put the protection of life and the
maintenance of social order in disaster-affected areas as priorities.
The notice ordered police to ensure smooth passage
for vehicles carrying disaster-relief workers and materials to affected areas
and to harshly deal with anyone taking criminal advantage of the quake.
Anyone found to be fabricating and spreading rumors
should also be harshly dealt with according to law, said the notice.
The Ministry of Land and Resources has warned of
risks of geological disasters after the quake on Monday.
In an emergency notice issued Monday, the ministry
asked local authorities to carry out accurate geological and weather assessments
to identify possible risks such as landslides.
The ministry ordered its provincial branch to
immediately send experts to the quake-hit region to assess geological disaster
risks in temporary accommodation areas.
