The Beijing municipal government has taken a series of measures to ensure the accurate reporting of SARS statistics in the city, according to Cai Fuchao, director of the Publicity Department of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
"Not even one case should be missed," Cai said on Friday at an official press conference on the SARS situation in Beijing.
Reports of SARS cases in each district and county in Beijing should be signed by party secretaries and directors before being delivered to the municipal government, and the municipal government report should be signed by Liu Qi, secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPC, and Wang Qishan, acting mayor of Beijing, before being handed over to the State Council, Cai said.
Anyone who underreports or covers up SARS figures will be held responsible or even punished, according to Cai.
A special team has been set up to supervise SARS information reports, he said, adding that over 150 supervisors will enter the 147 hospitals in Beijing to coordinate and inspect SARS treatment and statistics.
A SARS databank has also been developed, and each hospital will designate one person to report SARS cases.
In addition, the government has invited a number of senior medical experts to help guide SARS investigations and to enhance the training of 2,500 patrolling investigators, Cai said.
(Xinhua News Agency April 25, 2003)
