Expert stresses importance of vaccination
With more than 26 million doses of coronavirus vaccines administered in Shanghai, the city's leading infectious medical expert says vaccination is important to prevent the spread of the pandemic and all eligible people should have the inoculation.
A high percentage of vaccination and an infectious disease prevention and control network are key for pandemic control, Dr Zhang Wenhong, leader of Shanghai's COVID-19 treatment team said on Tuesday.
He was speaking at the launch of the nation's first Western and traditional Chinese medicine combined infectious disease prevention and control center in the city.
Dr Zhang Wenhong, leader of Shanghai's COVID-19 treatment team.
"When the pandemic wanes in China, the perfection of a public health system is extremely important, apart from strict pandemic prevention and control," said Zhang, who is also the director of Huashan Hospital's infectious disease department. "A system which can take place in both ordinary times and during pandemics is crucial for people's health and safety. We should establish more such high-end infectious monitoring and treatment centers in the city and also in the nation."
The new center is at the Shanghai Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, which is famed for introducing a Western and TCM combined therapy while serving on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic at Leishenshan Hospital, a makeshift hospital for coronavirus patients in Wuhan, the then epicenter of the outbreak.
The six-floor center has 15 separated infectious disease wards and 13 clinics which can be turned into separated wards with 50 beds in an emergency.
The new center will greatly improve Yueyang's ability in the treatment of serious diseases and in dealing with major public health incidents, said Dr Zhou Jia, the hospital's president.
"We will research how to introduce TCM theories into infectious disease prevention and control and set up clinical guidance cooperating with Western medicine to improve treatment effects and speed up patients' recovery," he said.
A rescue room at the new Western and traditional Chinese medicine combined infectious disease prevention and control center.
