Regulations on Preparedness for and Response to Emergent Public Health Hazards

(chinadaily.com.cn)

Updated: 2014-06-18

Article 27 Where the national emergency preparedness plan for the emergent hazard is to be initiated across the country or different provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities directly under the Central Government, the matter shall be reported by the competent health administrative department of the State Council to the State Council for approval before the initiation. Where the emergency preparedness plan for the emergent hazard is to be initiated within a province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government, the people’s government of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government shall decide the implementation and make a report to the State Council.

Article 28 The national headquarters for response to emergent hazard shall supervise and provide guidance for the response to the emergent hazard, and local people’s governments at various levels and their related departments shall offer cooperation. The headquarters for response to the emergent hazard of provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities directly under the Central Government shall supervise and provide guidance for the response to the emergent hazard within their respective administrative areas.

Article 29 Professional technical institutions for the emergent hazard designated by the competent health administrative departments or other relevant departments of the people’s governments at or above the provincial level shall be responsible for the technical investigation, verification, management, control and evaluation of the emergent hazard.

Article 30 With regard to any newly identified acute infectious disease, the competent health administrative department of the State Council shall, in light of degree of the harm caused and the intensity of the epidemic, timely announce it as a statutory infectious disease in accordance with the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases; if it is to be announced as a Class A infectious disease, the decision thereof shall be made by the State Council.

Article 31 Before an emergency preparedness plan is initiated, the relevant departments of the people’s governments at or above the county level shall, in light of the actual situation of the emergent hazard, make adequate preparations and take necessary emergency measures. Upon the initiation of the emergency preparedness plan, the relevant departments of the people’s governments in places where the emergent hazard breaks out shall, in accordance with their functions and duties laid down in the plan, subject themselves to the unified command of the headquarters for response to the emergent hazard, assume their offices in due time, and take necessary control measures. Medical and health institutions, surveillance institutions and scientific research institutions shall subject themselves to the unified command of the headquarters for response to the emergent hazard and cooperate and assist with each other, so as to concentrate their strength on the relevant scientific research work.

Article 32 Upon the outbreak of an emergent hazard, the relevant departments of the State Council, local people’s governments at or above the county level and their departments concerned shall guarantee the production and supply of medical rescue equipment, medications for patient treatment, medical devices and other materials needed for rapid response to the emergent hazard. The competent administrative departments of railways, communications and civil aviation shall guarantee timely transport of these supplies.

Article 33 To meet the needs for response to the emergent hazard, the headquarters for response to the emergent hazard shall have the right to dispatch persons and mobilize stockpiled materials, means of transportation and related facilities or equipment in an emergent way, or, if necessary, have the persons evacuated or isolated, and may blockade the epidemic areas of infectious diseases according to law.