Published 12:35 IST, May 10th 2020
China's senior official says COVID-19 pandemic exposed weaknesses in public health system
A senior Chinese official has said that the coronavirus pandemic has proven to be a “big test” that has exposed the weaknesses of public health system.
In a rare admission, a senior Chinese official has said that the coronavirus pandemic has proven to be a “big test” that has exposed the weaknesses of the country’s public health system, international media reported. Li Bin, Director of China’s National Health Commission added that China is now focusing on improving its disease prevention, public health system and data collection. The COVID-19 pandemic which emerged in the wet markets of Wuhan has now spiralled out to infect 82,901 and kill 4,633 in China.
Speaking to Chinese media reporters, Li said that the pandemic was a major challenge for Xi Jinping led government and it had exposed the “weak links” in their how they addressed an epidemic and the public health system. This comes as China has been repeatedly accused by Western powers of responding slowly to the virus and of hiding information about the outbreak from the other countries.
In April, an EU report accused China fo spreading misinformation about the health crisis. Meanwhile, China has reportedly denied international investigation about the origins of the virus. However, WHO recently praised China for containing the spread of the virus, especially in Wuhan.
Origin of COVID-19
Wuhan is the origin of the coronavirus and reported the first case in December 2019. Since then, the virus has spread across the world, bringing it to a standstill. The health crisis quickly turned into an economic crisis and later, a humanitarian crisis since millions of businesses have stopped, leading to unemployment. Multiple businesses, big and small have filed for bankruptcy. People have been left homeless and stranded because transportation facilities have ceased as well. Meanwhile, a goods train departed Wuhan loaded with 294.42 tonnes of anti-epidemic supplies such as masks, protective suits, goggles, and medical devices. The train will reach its destination Belgrade in 18 days
Updated 12:35 IST, May 10th 2020