Posted on 05/04/2003 6:41:01 PM PDT by fightinJAG
China sacks, disciplines 50 officials over inaction In a get-tough approach, it cracks down on incompetence; ministry reports seven new Sars deaths and 163 new infections
By Chua Chin Hon
BEIJING - China has sacked or disciplined more than 50 officials across the country for mishandling the Sars outbreak, signalling its seriousness in tackling the epidemic which has killed almost 200 people nationwide.
Even Sars-free provinces such as southern Hainan are taking no chances - several senior health officials in Wenchang city who were tardy in quarantining a suspected Sars patient were punished.
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The crackdowns on incompetent officials came as China's Health Ministry reported seven new Sars deaths and 163 new infections yesterday, bringing the country's total toll to 197 deaths and 4,125 cases.
A check of reports filed by the official Xinhua news agency since April 25 showed that at least 52 errant government bureaucrats, Communist Party cadres and health officials have been punished.
They came from various provinces: Guangdong and Hunan in the south, Anhui and Jiangxi in the east, northern Hebei, north-western Shaanxi, central Henan, and Guangxi and Chongqing muncipality in south-west China.
The officials were sacked or reprimanded for incompetence, tardiness or being ill-prepared in handling Sars patients, deserting their posts, or not devoting enough attention and resources to combating the disease.
China's central government has ordered provincial authorities to give top priority to containing the spread of Sars and to ensure medical facilities under their charge put anti-Sars measures into action.
Top leaders have warned in recent weeks that swift punishment awaited those who failed to act, or tried to cover up the real situation.
That message was hammered home on April 20 with the high-profile sacking of former Health Minister Zhang Wenkang and Beijing mayor Meng Xuenong for mishandling the Sars crisis.
Observers said that lower-rung officials obviously took the cue, which explained the latest crackdowns on incompetent officials.
Most of the errant officials were named in the Xinhua reports, which also provided details of their alleged offences.
Mr Peng Mengxiong, a senior official in charge of disseminating Sars-related information in Changde city in Hunan province, was sacked from all government and party posts after he was found partying the night away instead of doing his job.
He reportedly spent five hours having dinner and going for karaoke with several businessmen last Monday. As a result, the city's website for Sars-related information was updated six hours behind the deadline, Xinhua reported.
In the Shiyu town of Chongqing city, health director Chen Mingqi was sacked for being more preoccupied with the profitability of the clinics and hospitals than getting them ready to handle Sars patients.
He reportedly made 'negative' comments such as 'if we have Sars cases, it's not realistic to quarantine everyone as it will affect the hospital's business' and 'if the hospital cannot collect payment, where do we get money for food?'
The get-tough attitude bodes well for China, which now accounts for about 60 per cent of the world's cases.
Beijing alone had 69 new cases and four deaths yesterday, taking the capital's total to 1,803 Sars cases and 100 deaths. By comparison, southern Guangdong province - where the outbreak was first reported - has seen no new Sars death in its capital Guangzhou for two weeks.
China yesterday extended by two weeks the closure of primary and secondary schools, affecting 1.37 million students.
Ungodly (anti-Christian/Hebrew-Holy Scripture)......
CENTRALIZED GOVERNMENTS are ALWAYS a failure when it really counts!!!
BEIJING - China,.....to be renamed,.........'Clin-ton, China!'
LOL
EXACTLY!
Oh, by the way,......how is it that our (U.S.A.) public? (citizen) WATER SUPPLY and DRINKING WATER MANAGEMENT etc.,...is being bought by, owned, and manage-controlled by FOREIGN (non-U.S.) individuals and companies??????????
?.....Where is the U.S. public/media outcry and congressional PUBLIC exposure of this 'black market' (alien)...'secret undermining traditional,...U.S.A.,...locally controlled/vested interest???
Talk about 'Clintoon' and political Chinese spy monies,...HOW about a MAJOR 2004 Election DEBATE on THIS DOMESTIC WATER-National Security issue????
Hello?
Amen!
and,......good morning!
Maranatha!
(Romans 10:17)
m
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