Health demands in quake-hit area being met: authority

BEIJING -- The health needs of victims in the area hit by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake in southwest China are being met, the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) said on Thursday.

Epidemic prevention work fully covers the quake-hit area in Ya'an, Sichuan province, and water sanitation monitoring and environmental sterilization have been implemented, according to the commission.

The NHFPC said the number of new injured people has sharply reduced since April 27, with little large-scale first aid work being carried out. Temporary hospitals in tents or prefabricated structures and organized visits in villages by medical staff can now satisfy the demands.

The quake hit Lushan County of Ya'an on April 20, leaving 196 dead and more than 12,000 injured.

As of 5 p.m. on Thursday, a total of 1,254 people injured in the quake are in hospitals, including 83 in serious condition. As many as 5,251 people have been cured and discharged from medical facilities, the NHFPC said.

More than 700 garbage collection points and 1,361 toilets have been set up in the area, said the commission, adding that medical staff have provided mental health services to quake victims on 41,000 occasions.

So far, no serious epidemics or public health emergencies have been reported in the quake-hit area.