Emergency medical response system to be upgraded

China will build major medical centers and increase the number of teams to handle health emergencies and contagious diseases following its experiences battling COVID-19, officials said on Monday.

The nation also plans to increase its stockpiles of emergency medical materials, Guo Yanhong, head of the National Health Commission's medical emergency department, said at a news briefing. The COVID-19 epidemic highlighted the significance of the country's emergency medical treatment capacity as other public health threats continue to emerge, Guo said.

"After nearly two decades of continuous efforts, our ability to deal with public health emergencies has improved and played an important role in dealing with such events," she said. "We have issued the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) on medical services and relief for emergencies to further improve capacity in the field."