PLA Daily 2003-05-16

　　Since the outbreak of SARS in some areas in China, the People's Liberation Army(PLA) and the Armed Police Force, in response to the orders from the Party Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission, actively support local governments in the fight against SARS. Their actions have been highly praised by local governments at all levels and the　whole people, the PLA Daily reported.

　　The military takes it as its duty to support the civilians in this SARS battle and adopted resolute measures to fulfill the tasks. The PLA General Hospital, 302 Hospital, 304 Hospital, 306 Hospital and 309 Hospital in Beijing, and the General Hospital of the Guangzhou Military Area Command took emergent measures to raise medical equipment, protective articles, and vacate wards for SARS patients. In response to the requirements of the Beijing Municipal Government, the General Staff Headquarters transferred the anti-chemical research personnel and necessary vehicles to help with the sterilization and disinfections of some key areas and SARS-hit areas in Beijing, with the total area amounting to 474,000 square meters. The Beijing Armed Police Contingent sent 231 officers and soldiers to Xiaotangshan Hospital to perform duty missions. The Aerospace Medical Research Institute of the PLA General Armaments Department organized scientific personnel to conduct research of protective suits day and night for two consecutive weeks and finally succeeded in producing comfortable cooling protective suits for the frontline medical workers.

　　In these grueling SARS epidemic days, the thoughts of officers and men are always with the people. According to incomplete statistics, so far officers and men have donated more than 2 million yuan to help with SARS battle. The cadets of the Engineering Department of the Armed Police College made consolation cards and sent them to medical personnel fighting at the forefront of SARS, together with their monthly allowances. A training base under the Beijing Military Area Command donated 50,000 masks, 2 tons of disinfection solutions and 600 protective suits for the local medical departments.

　　The provincial military commands throughout the country organized the militia to actively participate in anti-SARS battle to prevent the epidemic disease from spreading to the rural areas. The Hunan Provincial Military Command organized more than 3400 publicity teams and 2300 consulting centers to popularize the knowledge on the prevention of SARS disease. In addition, it distributed more than 80,000 copies of materials on SARS prevention to the public. Every year, a large number of rural laborers from Sichuan Province immigrate to other parts of China to find jobs, with total number amounting to 6 million. In view of the above-mentioned situation, the provincial military command organized the militia into more than 10,000 teams to help with migrant worker's families during the plant and harvest season. The Shanghai Garrison organized 7,400 militiamen to help with the local people in checking epidemic situation, disinfections and patrol duties.　Beijing and Tianjin Municipalities, Hebei and Shanxi Provinces, and the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, organized over a million militia　in the battle against SARS.

　　By Zhengqun

　　(May 16，PLA Daily)