China sending more aid to West Africa
中国向西非运送更多救援物资

China has so far sent 750 million yuan, that’s 120 million US dollars, to countries in Africa to deal with the Ebola virus. Public health experts are also on the way to help stop the spread of the virus that has killed more than 5,000 people.

China has sent four rounds of humanitarian aid, including personnel and funds to the epidemic hit areas in Western Africa.

A commission of public health experts and medical workers will soon be sent to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea at the heart of the crisis.

And China’s People’s Liberation Army will set up a treatment center in Liberia. The Foreign Ministy says it’s the first such facility to be constructed in West Africa and run by a foreign country.

"We will send a team of 160 medical staff to operate and manage the center. In building the center, we have fully drawn upon China’s experience in dealing with SARS. We will try to detect, report, diagnose, quarantine and treat ebola patients in a timely manner. We have also optimised diagnosis and treatment procedures, and the function and layout of the facility," Wang Shengwen, director of foreignassistance of Ministry of Commerce, said.

The large number of Chinese workers in Africa has prompted warnings that China may be vulnerable to a possible spread of the virus.

There are as many as 190 flights between Africa and the southern Chinese province of Guangdong every month, with a passenger flow of more than 45,000 people. Health officials say various measures are in place to ramp up Ebola surveillance.

"We have set up a 22-department system to cope with any ebola epidemic. We have strengthened preventive measutres including expanding testing procedures and designating hospitals to handle Ebola cases," Wang said.

No Chinese citizens in Africa have so far been found with Ebola infection.

A daily communication system has been set up between Beijing and the Chinese medical team in Africa. None of the Chinese medical workers have been infected so far.