China health authorities say respiratory illnesses spike is finally easing
- Latest monitoring results show the numbers of people, mostly children, needing treatment nationally is on a downward trend
- National Health Commission also reports increased medical capacity has ‘effectively met’ patients’ healthcare needs
Speaking at a live-streamed press conference, Mi said the country had “effectively met” patients’ healthcare needs, with expanded medical resources, including more hospital beds and increased capacity at outpatient and emergency department clinics.
Monitoring results showed that at grass roots levels, fever clinics and outpatient departments accounted for around 44 per cent of the nationwide medical institutions’ reception volume, he said.
China has been grappling with a surge in acute respiratory illnesses caused by various pathogens since October, with children among the worst hit. Chinese media has reported long queues at outpatient and inpatient paediatric clinics across the country.
The clusters of cases among children in China’s northern regions, along with reports of overburdened healthcare systems, prompted the WHO to ask Beijing for more information in November.