No more doctors despite dangerous weather

Despite a possible increase in bone injuries and respiratory disease following the coldest day in almost 40 years tomorrow, some hospitals say they will not increase their medical staff.

"The number of doctors will remain at the same level as before the national holiday on Friday," an unnamed doctor in Jishuitan Hospital, the biggest orthopedic hospital in Beijing, told METRO.

Heavy snow started falling early yesterday morning, causing the temperature to drop eight degrees. The Beijing meteorological bureau's website predicted it would continue to drop to -16 C tomorrow.

The Beijing Evening News reported recently that 16 patients had been admitted to Jishuitan Hospital with bone injuries on Saturday, 11 of which had fallen on the icy roads.

And the situation looked likely to worsen with the onslaught of the cold front.

"Bone injuries and respiratory patients will increase in the cold weather and cyclists should pay special attention," said Ma Yanming, a press official of the Beijing municipal health bureau.

According to the Beijing emergency medical center, ambulances will also not be increased in number or condition over the following days.

"We only provide anti-slip chains for ambulances in rural areas," said a press official surnamed Wang from the center.

Despite the health bureau's opinion, a second famous hospital in the city remained adamant there would not be an increase in patients.

"There should be fewer patients in the cold season and I predict our medical staff will be sufficient to handle the situation," said Wu Wenbing, deputy director of the administrative office in Fuwai Hospital.

Wu said that for those diseases not strongly affected by the weather, snowing didn't increase the number of patients.

Not all Beijing residents agree with the positive prediction though.

"I think the number of patients will increase a lot on Monday and Tuesday because most hospitals only provided emergency treatment over the holiday," said Yang Wengyu, 26, a business consultant who became ill on Saturday.

She said she would try to take medicine at home instead of going to the hospital to join the queues.

Ma said yesterday that all the city's public hospitals had launched emergency assistance plans by adding more doctors for emergency cases. Hospitals generally have reduced staff numbers on weekends.

He also said that heavy snowfalls might clean the air and help to slow the spread of A/H1N1 flu.

(China Daily 01/04/2010 page14)