Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Sunday urged intensifying efforts to
fight against severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, and to
bring it under control.
Speaking at a national conference in Beijing on the control of the
epidemic, Wen urged relevant departments to be fully aware of the
importance and urgency of the prevention and treatment of the
disease, saying it has a bearing on the overall situation of
China.
Much progress has been made in combating the disease so far, with
the epidemic brought under control in some areas, but the overall
situation remains grave, Wen said.
He
called on the whole nation to work closely together to win the
fierce battle against the disease.
Wen said preventing the spread of the disease is the most urgent
task and the core of the control work at present. To fulfill this
task, prevention and monitoring work must be strengthened so that
the disease is spotted, reported, isolated and treated at the
earliest possible stage.
He
singled out a number of locations, including planes, trains, ships,
automobiles and exit and entry ports, as key areas that quarantine
work should be enhanced.
Among his other directions, Wen also urged determining the
pathogeny of the disease as soon as possible, beefing up the
treatment, establishing a nationwide mechanism to deal with
emergencies in the fields of public health and intensifying
cooperation and exchanges with international and regional
organizations on the treatment of the disease.
Wen said the success of the fight against this disease depends on
effective leadership, clearly defined responsibility and concrete
work.
He
urged governments of all levels to put the control of SARS high on
their agenda, with leading officials personally supervising the
work and taking overall responsibility for it.
Wen expressed the confidence that with the strong leadership of the
Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council,
along with a responsible medical force, the nation will certainly
win the battle against the epidemic.
(Xinhua News Agency April 14, 2003)