Emergency medical rules issued after deadly blast
The Ministry of Health issued medical emergency guidelines for handling disasters yesterday, after an explosion at a fireworks warehouse in Linzhou , Henan province , killed 36 people on Sunday.
A villager from Lilin, where the blast occurred, said the victims had been told they would receive free hospital treatment until they fully recovered.
'The Linzhou Health Bureau announced at 10am today that all the patients would not need to pay any medical fees,' the villager said.
Local television reported that 78 patients had been treated, with seven listed in critical condition yesterday.
The health bureau announcement was believed to be a response to the ministry's guidelines, which called on every medical institution to set up an emergency plan, including a system for deploying personnel and ensuring better co-operation with disaster-scene commanders.
A Lilin villager said first-aid workers had been unable to handle the chaotic aftermath of Sunday's blast.
'We all believe that some of the 36 victims died because of delayed rescue efforts, with ambulances arriving an hour after the first calls from villagers,' he said.
'This is because our town is located in a mountainous area. It's very difficult to get here despite a new road connecting us with downtown Linzhou.'
The villager said Lilin residents had demanded the local government remove the three large fireworks factories from the village.
'All the relatives are demanding compensation from the fireworks factory. The Linzhou party secretary, Lai Liang , is negotiating with the factory owners on our behalf,' he said.
