Li Xueyong, vice minister of Science and Technology, and deputy
leader of the scientific and technological task team attached to
the National SARS Prevention and Control Headquarter, introduced
the situation related to China's scientific and technological
emergency system construction at a press conference in Beijing
Wednesday.
He
said, "Through the fight against SARS,
we have come to realize that the building of an emergency system
dealing with unexpected public health incidents must be speeded up,
including a disease information network system, emergency
prevention and control system, and emergency ambulance system. As a
person engaged in science and technology, I think that, in order to
build an emergency system dealing with unexpected public health
incidents, the establishment of a relevant scientific and
technological support system is very important. This should include
the following aspects: the construction of platforms with relevant
test conditions including the state biological safety protection
laboratory research network. When encountering problems, we can, in
parallel, conduct the research through a central network instead of
depending on the judgments of individual scientists. Besides, the
system also includes a test analysis technological platform,
medicine vaccine and diagnosis reagent research and development
platform, biological protection platform, equipment test and
development platform, research, information exchange and
resource-sharing platform."
Li
told the press that the Ministry of Science and Technology has
included the undertaking in its work program, regarding it as a
mid- to long-term strategy. To work on such a platform, the key
lies in a research team and organizational system capable of giving
instance response, he said.
According to Li, the platform can undertake the tasks of research
and development and academic research in related fields during
ordinary times. When an emergency occurs, it will be subject to
unified command and maneuvers by the state for instant action and
to unconditionally carry through various urgent tasks assigned by
the state.
(China.org.cn by Chen Qiuping and Li Jingrong June 26, 2003)