Beijing
SARS
Control Working Group held its fourth press conference at 10:00 am
May 6 in Beijing International Hotel. Cai Fuchao, a standing member
of Beijing Municipal Party Committee and Beijing Municipal
Publicity Department Director, vice mayor Liu Zhihua and head of
Haidian District Zhou Liangluo briefed Chinese and overseas
correspondents and took questions on the latest work of the group
and progress of Beijing's fight against SARS.
Liu Zhihua, Beijing's vice mayor, introduced protection measures
for medical workers in Xiaotangshan Hospital. He said the newly
built hospital has three separated areas: a living area, a
restricted area and an isolated area. Medical workers live in the
restricted area and patients in the isolated area. Medical workers
and patients enter the isolated area from different entrances.
Before entering, medical workers are disinfected and change their
clothes twice. There are double-glazed windows for medical workers
and patients if they want to communicate with each other. And,
there are three two-ton-weight incinerators, where polluted litter
from patients and the used exposure suits can be burnt.
A
positive-pressure ventilation system has been installed in
Xiaotangshan Hospital with fresh air pumped through the passage
where health care workers move to the quarantined wards, this is
then discharged into the open air. All health care workers and SARS
patients have access to fresh air. Every ward has independent
shower facilities, toilets, telephones, televisions, oxygen
systems, vacuum pump systems and intercom systems.
The independent sewage treatment plant affiliated to the hospital
decontaminates sewage twice and faeces from SARS patients processed
three times before discharge into common sewage treatment plants.
Protective measures are also adopted for nearby communities. Though
the hospital is a relatively far distance from nearby villages and
residential communities, the Changping district government has
educated everyone with SARS knowledge and precaution, particularly
those living closest also running a campaign to eradicate flies and
rats that may possibly carry and spread the virus.
A
crematorium is situated 19 kilometers away from the second part of
northwestern Xiaotangshan Hospital. Corpses of SARS patients are
conveyed there through express highways without entering any
villages. As of yesterday, the Xiaotangshan Hospital has
accommodated 393 SARS patients.
(China.org.cn May 7, 2003)