China's health ministry launches monthly report on public health emergencies

[AlaskaDenise]

( I assume they will cc Sharpe, et al)

http://english.people.com.cn/200609/13/eng20060913_302159.html

UPDATED: 08:18, September 13, 2006

China's Ministry of Health released information Tuesday on current public health emergencies in China, the first time the health watchdog has provided a national summary of this kind of data.

"The release will be made on a regular basis from now on each month," said sources with the Ministry's information office.

Major epidemics, diseases of unknown origin, major food or occupational poisoning cases, and other incidents which may seriously endanger public health, including SARS and bird flu, will be reported, the Ministry said.

The ministry recorded a total of 279 public health emergencies in August, involving 4,128 people and leading to 202 deaths.

Infectious diseases and food poisoning were the top two killers last month, accounting for 74 percent and 21 percent of the total number of cases.

The health roundup release is part of a public health contingency plan.The health ministry has been publishing monthly reports on epidemics since February 2004.

Source: Xinhua

.

 

[Sharpe]

Re: China's health ministry launches monthly report on public health emergencies

The reason for the monthly reports perhaps.

http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/english/2006/08/200608172314.shtml

Hospitals fail to report deaths - China.

(Aug. 17, 2006) China's medical institutions failed to report one third of deaths to the national health surveillance network, the country's top health authority said on Tuesday.

Furthermore, an estimated 20 per cent of hospitals failed to report any deaths.



"Lack of attention and understanding of the importance of death reporting has resulted in missing reports by local authorities," said Mao Qun'an, spokesman of the Ministry of Health (MOH).

"It causes a lot of difficulties for the country's control and prevention of infectious diseases."

The MOH carried out an investigation into the operation of a death reporting system among 130 medical institutions at and above county level in 29 provinces and municipalities at the end of last year. The reporting system was introduced in April 2004.

In one province, which the MOH did not name, more than 86 per cent of deaths had not been reported.

And across the country almost 30 per cent of deaths were not reported in a timely manner. The MOH pointed out that the hospitals at provincial level usually delayed reports for longer than those at lower levels.

The investigation found that about 25 per cent of death causes had been misreported. More than 60 per cent of reported deaths had been attributed to symptoms instead of causes, including failures of the heart, respiratory system, kidneys or lungs.

The investigation revealed poor management and supervision of the reporting system, the ministry admitted. The ministry urged local medical institutions to report fatalities in a more direct, timely and concise manner and instructed health authorities to improve staff training, especially on how to fill in the reporting form and pinpoint the exact cause of death.

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: China's health ministry launches monthly report on public health emergencies

Hospitals failing to report deaths? OMG!!!

...More than 60 per cent of reported deaths had been attributed to symptoms instead of causes...

No wonder the government is trying to improve the system!

.