819 remain hospitalized after Lushan quake

BEIJING - A total of 819 people injured in the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that shook southwest China last month remain hospitalized, health authorities said Tuesday.

As of 5 pm Monday, 893 medical staff who had been sent to the quake zone were still in the area to offer support to local medical workers following the quake that rocked Lushan County, Sichuan Province on April 20, according to the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC).

Of the 819 patients who remain hospitalized, 33 are in critical condition and 14 are in serious condition, the NHFPC said.

So far, nearly 847 garbage collection points have been set up in the zone. Workers have sterilized 3,677 hectares of land and disposed of more than 14,770 tonnes of garbage, according to the NHFPC.

No serious epidemics or public health emergencies have been reported in the area, it added.

The earthquake has left at least 196 dead. It is estimated that 2 million residents were affected by the disaster.