President Xi Jinping presides over a symposium attended by experts on fighting the novel coronavirus at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, June 2, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

Medical, legislative and administrative experts make key recommendations

President Xi Jinping urged on Tuesday the building of a strong public health system and improving the nation's capacity for disease prevention and treatment to better protect the people's health.

The people's safety is the cornerstone of national security, and measures must be taken to prevent major risks in health areas, Xi said while presiding over a symposium attended by experts on fighting the novel coronavirus at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Seven experts in medicine, legislation and public administration, including renowned respiratory specialist and academician Zhong Nanshan, delivered speeches on such topics as improving the national disease prevention system, raising the capabilities of medical treatment and improving the legislative handling of public health. Xi talked with every expert and instructed related departments to resolve the problems they raised.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, expressed sincere gratitude on behalf of the CPC Central Committee to the experts for their great contributions in the fight against COVID-19.

In his speech, Xi said that in facing the novel coronavirus outbreak, the CPC Central Committee has made the people's lives and health its top priority and taken the strictest disease prevention measures.

China achieved great strategic outcomes in the fight against the disease, and the achievements demonstrated the outstanding advantages of the CPC's leadership and China's socialist system, he said.

Since the CPC's 18th National Congress in late 2012, the CPC has made steady efforts to develop the public health system and successfully prevented and dealt with outbreaks of many diseases, including H1N1 influenza and Ebola, Xi said.

Noting that the disease prevention and control system is of great significance for the protection of the people's health and the maintenance of social stability, Xi said that more reform measures must be taken to raise the efficiency of disease prevention.

He instructed national-level disease prevention and control institutions to enhance their capacity building and increase their technology and talent reserves.

Township hospitals and community medical agencies should intensify their responsibilities in disease prevention and consolidate the foundation of joint prevention in grassroots organizations, Xi said.

He said it's an urgent need to increase China's capability of disease monitoring and early warning amid the country's efforts to improve the public health system.

The country's surveillance system for pandemics and public health emergencies should be improved, the monitoring system for unknown diseases and abnormal health incidents should be improved and the accuracy of assessment should be raised, he said.

Xi instructed relevant departments to strengthen the building of laboratory test networks, raise the capacity of pandemic tests and increase the capability of workers at grassroots medical institutions.

In the fight against COVID-19, the government has mobilized the whole nation's medical resources and left no patients behind, he said, adding that from newborn babies to elderly people over 100 years of age are all taken good care of.

Xi stressed that carrying out an extensive health campaign is a successful practice for the CPC to deal with disease prevention work. Such a campaign promotes healthy and positive lifestyles.

The authorities should improve the people's living environment, advocate healthy lifestyles, educate the public about health and promote good eating habits, he said.

Xi said the combination of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine is a prominent characteristic of COVID-19 treatment, and it is also an important practice for innovation in TCM.

He urged reforms to improve the approval system for TCM treatments, promote the development of TCM industries and increase the capabilities of TCM hospitals.

Xi also stressed the importance of improving the legislation of public health emergency laws, enhance scientific innovation and strengthen international cooperation on disease prevention and control.