Medical care for Eastern Star ferry disaster continues

Source: en.nhfpc.gov.cn

By Feng Hui

Updated: 2015-06-09

As of Sunday night, June 7, officials declared that 432 passengers and crew members of the Eastern Star ferry, which overturned in the Yangtze River at 9:28 pm, on June 1, had been confirmed dead, and that 10 are still missing.

The ship had 456 people onboard when extreme weather hit the river area near Hubei province. Immediately afterward, 14 people were rescued.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission called a special meeting for rescue workers, on June 4, with three mobile medical centers in the rescue area, and sent more than 500 staff members to take part in the rescue and healthcare work.

The commission says it will open a medical hotline to provide medical aid for survivors and their family members, with Cui Li, a vice-minister, visiting injured survivors at a local hospital and expressed her sympathy.

Cui has asked health and family planning departments and medical institutions to do their best for the injured and to provide psychological counseling and use all resources to ensure the care goes smoothly.