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China faces the worst outbreak of epidemics: millions of people have been locked up, thousands of beds have been urgently set up and the medical system is under pressure.
Health workers near a locked building on a public housing complex in Hong Kong.
AFP
China uses the zero govt strategy, which does everything it can to avoid the appearance of lawsuits. As a result, thousands of people tested positive are isolated in specialized centers or hospitals.
Conclusion: The Shanghai Health System, the epicenter of the current epidemic due to the Omigron variant, is extending its tongue to ensure simultaneous screening activities, isolation of victims and non-Govt care.
Vaccination rate
By mid-March, more than 1.2 billion people had received at least two doses of the vaccine – about 90% of the population. But so far only half the Chinese have taken the booster dose.
Another difficulty: the safety of the elderly. Because of those over 80, only half received two doses. Among those aged 60 and over, more than 50% received booster levels. A worrying situation, because in Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous region in southern China, a recent outbreak of the disease has taken away many vaccinated elderly patients.
In the mainland of China, only Chinese vaccines are currently approved. However, authorities have given the green light to Paxlovit, an anti-Govt pill from the US group Pfizer, “under certain conditions.” According to several studies, Chinese vaccines are considered to be less effective than many foreign vaccines, even though they provide reliable protection against severe Govt forms.
Hospitals under pressure
The Chinese health care system is much better than it was a few decades ago, however, with not enough staff, especially in the face of an aging population. According to the Ministry of Health, there are only 2.9 general practitioners per 10,000 people in China. In comparison, there are the same number of doctors in the UK, but only per 1000 people.
Some parts of the country are less blessed than others. Jilin Province (northeast), with a population of 24 million and a recent epidemic, has only 22,880 hospital beds, according to local officials.
Valuable Peking University researchers have warned: China could face a “big bang” if it relaxes restrictions like in Europe or the United States.
Urban-rural discrimination
Although poverty has dropped dramatically in recent decades, there are still significant differences between urban and rural areas in terms of sanitation. Sophisticated equipment, highly experienced physicians and the best companies are available in big cities, where residents have a huge choice between public hospitals and private clinics.
According to the Ministry of Health, China has only 1.6 medical professionals and only 1.5 hospital beds per 1,000 people.
Health under “Zero Govt”
Shanghai is the most developed city in the country. As he struggles to find new beds to isolate the sick, he is more than surprised to see her tremble with ill health. According to officials, there are 130,000 beds or so in the coming days.
About 40,000 of them are installed at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. Most are occupied by asymptomatic people. For their part, banned Shanghai people complain of lack of access to new products, drugs and emergency hospitals.
According to Chinese newspapers, at least two people with asthma have died without access to hospitals due to a lack of a negative Govt test.
About 38,000 health professionals and 2,000 soldiers have been sent to Shanghai from across the country.
Wu Jingley, director of the city’s health department, acknowledged that although there were 50% more ambulances in the city than there were before, there was difficulty in handling all calls for medical help.
(AFP)