A World Health Organization (WHO) medical team will arrive in Macao on April 11 for a five-day inspection on the Special Administrative Region's epidemic prevention of atypical pneumonia.
Fernando Chui Sai On, secretary for social affairs and culture,said as a West-Pacific member of WHO, Macao has established a close cooperation relationship with the WHO on epidemic control, which was embodied in the prevention of the dengue fever last year.
He said the WHO experts are scheduled to inspect Macao's preventive measures and medical facilities.
Macao is currently immune from the disease, but the tourist city has made cautious preventive measures and facilitated isolated SARS medical treatment areas in three hospitals, which have a combined treatment capacity of 400 patients, in case of an epidemic attack.
Macao started this week to impose heavy fines on unsanitary behaviors, such as spitting and littering. Over 500 police and inspectors were mobilized to check enforcement of regulations for maintaining urban hygiene.
(Xinhua News Agency April 8, 2003)
