Ministry to do more to ensure COVID supplies sufficient

China has made continuous efforts to ensure medical facilities have the supplies and ability to respond COVID-19 emergency work.

"In addition to central government bodies, local authorities must also stockpile medical supplies and strengthen regional cooperation mechanisms by sharing information to establish a more effective response system in case of shortages while dealing with the epidemic," Guo Yanhong, head of the National Health Commission's medical emergency department told a news conference on Monday in Beijing.

Guo said that the variety and quantity of medical supplies in stock needs expanding and estimates of the amount of medication and supplies needed to combat a possible resurgence of COVID-19 should be calculated in advance.

"Also, medical institutes and hospitals can improve cooperation with pharmaceutical companies to help secure medications and facilities to combat the epidemic. Grassroots medical institutes should also enhance their stocks of medical resources," she added.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has also focused on helping pharmaceutical companies improve production and promote the development of the industry to keep up with public demand.

"We've helped some key companies optimize production to make sure they can produce sufficient quantities of medication to deal with emergencies. We are also keeping a close eye on research into new COVID-19 vaccines and medications to prepare for future production," said Zhou Jian, an official with the ministry. 

He said that the ministry will pay closer attention to shortcomings in the medical industrial chain and medical supplies destined for rural and grassroots clinics.

He added that the ministry will introduce more support policies to promoting the development of the pharmaceutical industry, and step up efforts to turn research into production, including the research and production of small molecule drugs and new COVID-19 vaccines.