BEIJING - Chinese Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan on Aug 19 called for strengthened efforts in COVID-19 containment and medical treatment to better protect people's health and well-being.

Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a visit to Peking University First Hospital.

Sun extended festive greetings to medical workers on the occasion of China's Doctors' Day, also known as Medical Workers' Day.

Commending the contributions made by medics in the battle against COVID-19, Sun stressed the importance of unwaveringly implementing containment measures as the pandemic has yet come to an end.

She called on medics to protect themselves, and strengthen their awareness of and capability to guard against hospital-acquired infections.

Both traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine must be harnessed, Sun said, and efforts should be made to enhance capacity for treatment and maximize recovery rates while minimizing fatality rates.

She also urged more care for medical workers.