The National Health Commission (NHC) has dispatched medical experts to Jishishan county of Linxia Hui autonomous prefecture in Northwest China's Gansu province after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit the county at midnight on Dec 18.

Officials from departments of medical emergency response and national-level experts in intensive care, orthopedics, neurosurgery and general surgery from Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing and West China Hospital of Sichuan University in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan province, have been sent to Gansu.

Meanwhile, the NHC has coordinated three national medical emergency aid teams from Sichuan, Shaanxi province and the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, which are adjacent to Gansu, to rush to Gansu and Qinghai provinces for medical rescue.

After the earthquake, the Gansu provincial health commission immediately dispatched 33 ambulances and other specialized vehicles along with 173 medical workers, to help with rescue and transfer of the injured.

Qinghai has sent 68 ambulances, as well as over 40 experts at provincial and municipal levels, to provide on-site rescue.

As of 6:30 am on Dec 19, more than 300 injured people had been treated in the disaster-stricken area.

Under the guidance of the NHC, a joint expert group has been established to collaborate with local medics in conducting consultations for the injured, checking potential hidden injuries and providing tailored diagnosis and treatment plans for each patient.

The NHC is ready to mobilize additional medical rescue forces as needed to ensure the utmost protection of the lives and health of the residents in the disaster-stricken area.