Preparation for emergency medical treatment during the 2008 Beijing Olympics was fully launched yesterday in Shanghai. The only designated hospital for the Games in the city, Huashan Hospital (affiliated to Fudan University) will provide medical services for more than 10 football preliminary contests during the Games.

An unveiling ceremony was held yesterday in Shanghai as Beijing reached 200-day mark in the countdown to the Olympics, with attendance by officials from the Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau and the Shanghai Sports Bureau, as well as Huashan Hospital. As reported, 28 hospitals have been designated in six venues for the Games, including Beijing, Qingdao, Tianjin and Shanghai. Huashan Hospital has offered medical insurance for the Special Olympic Games, the Woman's World Cup and F1 Grand Prix of China.

A medical group has been organized, consisting of 19 experts, to deal with emergencies during the Games. A special consulting-room, with medical personnel familiar with sports injuries, will provide 24-hour service. A green channel and a special emergency operating room for injured athletes will also be opened for around-the-clock service, said Ding Qiang, Deputy Director of Huashan Hospital.

In addition, the hospital promised that all information concerning patients would be kept confidential.

(China.org.cn by Yang Xi, January 22, 2008)