China goes all out to increase output of medical supplies

BEIJING -- China is moving to ensure production of key medical supplies in urgent need as the country optimized its COVID-19 response.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and relevant departments have established emergency collaboration mechanisms with local authorities, to help pharmaceutical enterprises expand capacity and ensure supply of key medicines for COVID-19 control.

"Relevant companies and key supporting firms have all been incorporated on a 'white list' to get support and achieve cooperation in production factors," said Zhou Jian, an official with the ministry.

In a production base of Buchang Pharmaceuticals, a company responsible for producing three types of COVID-19-control related medicines, eight production lines are operating around the clock.

Multiple measures have been rolled out by local authorities across the country to boost output of medical supplies, including ensuring supply of raw materials and energy, establishing new production lines and promoting technological upgrading, in order to help enterprises run at full capacity.

Hubei Biocause Heilen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a pharmaceutical company based in central China's Hubei Province, said all its production lines for ibuprofen -- a fever reduction medicine -- have reached maximum possible output, with the daily output of raw material for ibuprofen hitting 10 to 13 tonnes.

Efforts have also been made to ensure more targeted and reasonable medicine dispatching.

Priority will be given to the distribution of medical supplies to key places, such as medical institutions and nursing homes for the elderly. Meanwhile, major online pharmacies have been guided to improve online medicine-purchasing platforms, according to the ministry.