Li calls for all-out production drive to combat virus

Premier Li Keqiang on Saturday called for all-out efforts to ensure the production and supply of key medical resources for the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus, saying demand from key areas and key groups like medical workers must be made a top priority. 

During a visit to a national platform for the dispatching of key medical resources for epidemic control and prevention in Beijing, Li urged quicker steps in the production of medical resources and further effort to boost the capacity of supply, a prerequisite for reducing mortality rates and raising the cure rate for the pneumonia-causing virus. 

Boosting supply of medical resources improves combat capacity against the outbreak, he said. 

It is important for producers to tap into greater potential in production capacity and make every minute count in expanding production while ensuring quality of products, he said. 

He urged further refinement of standards for the use of medical resources for different occasions and different groups of people. 

The priority is meeting demand for such resources by medical workers who are fighting on the front lines against the outbreak, and they must ensure their own safety while treating patients, he said. 

He said the State Council mechanism for coordinated epidemic prevention and control must step up unified dispatching of key medical resources nationwide, and prioritize efforts to meet demand in key areas such as Hubei province and Wuhan, the provincial capital, which is the epicenter of the outbreak. 

Li conducted video calls with producers of protective gowns and surgical masks in Henan and Fujian provinces, and extended regards to workers working extra hours to boost production. 

He hailed producers as the arsenal of the fight against the outbreak, saying there would be a higher level of security for medical workers and the people with every product manufactured, he said. 

The premier noted the job to ensure the supply of daily necessities of the public will become more challenging with ongoing epidemic control and prevention. 

He urged authorities to ensure the supply of vegetables, meat, eggs and milk for the public, with efforts to maintain a normal order of transportation and logistics and guarantee supermarkets and wholesalers can replenish their stocks in time so supplies and prices can remain stable. 

Those who deliberately drive up prices, corner the market and make exorbitant profits must be held accountable, he added.