SHANGHAI: The municipal government of this coastal city started building a special medical emergency control centre this week that is expected to start operation next year.

In case of emergency, medical professionals from around the city will gather at the centre to co-ordinate treatment.

"Medical emergencies could have very serious consequences if we can't get the situation under control as quickly as possible, especially since Shanghai is such a super-sized metropolis," said Song Guofan, spokesperson for the Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau. "We've had grave lessons in this regard, such as the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) breakout three years ago."

The centre is expected to be able to handle all sorts of emergency outbreaks, from epidemic diseases like SARS, bird flu or hepatitis A, to serious accidents that endanger public health, such as a chemical leakage or explosion, Song said.

The centre will dispatch medical staff to the site of the emergency to handle the medical response. They will bring all necessary equipment with them, whether they have to carry out a rescue or bring a situation under control.

The centre will also build up an information and operations network so it can dispatch medical professionals from all of Shanghai's 19 districts and counties, said Song.

"Honestly, our capabilities in dispatching medical professionals to emergencies are already quite good," Song said. "Shanghai has the best physicians and disease-control experts in China. With the help of modern communications, we can respond immediately to emergencies."

After the outbreak of SARS in 2003, the municipality drew up a three-year plan to strengthen its public health system. The emergency response centre is an important part of that plan and tops the city's development plans.

(China Daily 12/25/2006 page3)