China moves to ensure supply of medicines, treatment against COVID-19

BEIJING -- China has made ensuring the supply of medicines and medical services its most pressing task as the focus of its COVID-19 epidemic response shifts from curbing new infections to preventing and treating severe cases.

The current work objectives for China's epidemic response are ensuring people's health and preventing severe cases, said Mi Feng, spokesperson with the National Health Commission, at a press conference on Wednesday.

Medical institutions of all levels are optimizing procedures, expanding resources and increasing forces to coordinate their efforts on epidemic containment, treatment of the infected patients and daily medical services, Mi said.

China is making all-out efforts to ramp up the production of key medicines, said Zhou Jian, an official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, at the same press conference.

Zhou said that the supply of medicines for key locations, including medical institutions and nursing homes for the elderly, will be prioritized. Large pharmacies will be mobilized to develop online platforms to facilitate the delivery of medicines to patients in need.

Overall, there is adequate capacity for test kits, vaccines and masks, Zhou said, noting that some places have seen temporary supply shortages of test kits due to the small demand in previous periods, but production is expected to rise soon.

Despite the spike in the need for fever clinics, the occupancy rate of such facilities remains within a controllable range, said Jiao Yahui, another official with the NHC.

Various measures have been taken in this regard, such as setting up more fever clinics, promoting internet medical services and simplifying the prescription process for patients, said Jiao.