Megacities expand efforts to protect public health

BEIJING -- Chinese megacities such as Beijing and Tianjin have planned to enhance their public health emergency response capacity to better safeguard people's health.

Beijing has vowed to build a stronger public health emergency management system by 2035 as the capital city aims to become a world-class city by then, according to the municipal authorities.

A guideline on strengthening the construction of public health emergency management system has been adopted by the municipal authorities, which has put forward specific measures to address loopholes in this regard.

Vice Mayor Lu Yan said more efforts will be made to upgrade the disease prevention and control systems including developing a more sophisticated treatment system to combat epidemics.

Meanwhile, the city will improve its medical insurance and relief system for serious diseases, ensure more efficient emergency supplies and further develop public health technologies as well as perfect its legal framework for public health, said Lu.

According to a three-year action plan on strengthening the emergency management system for public health security in the capital (2020-2022), Beijing will establish a linkage mechanism for prevention, clinical practice, scientific research, treatment and emergency project approval.

As the capital city with a population of over 21 million, Beijing's disease prevention and control force is insufficient, he said, calling for the further construction of disease prevention and control centers at all levels. The city will also beef up community health service centers.

Meanwhile, a document adopted by the Tianjin municipal legislature on Monday stipulated that medical and health institutions and institutions of inspection and quarantine, environmental protection monitoring and education shall report to the local district disease prevention and control institutions within one hour if they uncover a potential or existing public health emergency.

"The new rule broadens the channels of information reporting and reduces the intermediate links so that the information reporting process of public health emergencies can be completed within two to three hours," said Wang Zeqing, chairman of the commission for legislative affairs of the Tianjin municipal legislature.