To prepare for a possible SARS resurgence in the coming flu season, officials in the southern province of Guangdong have designated 158 hospitals to treat SARS patients, mandating that each facility have isolation wards and separate areas for labs, pharmacies, reception and cashiers, and an ambulance to isolate patients. Some 440,000 health care workers have also been trained to provide safe diagnosis, treatment and transport of SARS victims. Beijing has created an alert system to move quickly if a case is discovered in the capital. In more long term plans, China intends to spend more than a $1 billion in the next three years on medical centers and hospitals to combat infectious diseases. With the recent SARS scare in Singapore on everyoneÂ’s mind, a World Health Organization official said health officials need to be prepared for other SARS-like diseases in the years ahead.
