China's Ministry of Health said on Tuesday that it has sent a package of medical equipment worth three million yuan (about US$441,000) to 26 disease control centers in quake zones in southwest Sichuan Province.

Ministry spokesman Mao Qun'an said all the temporary medical stations in the quake zone's counties and towns had been built and that the stations' medical equipment had been adequate.

Design work for permanent medical facilities is underway with construction already beginning on some them, he said.

According to the ministry, medical facilities at the county level in the quake zone had resumed 24-hour clinic services and hospitalization. Operations could also be performed on a case-by-case basis.

Health departments in the quake zones had restored regular immunity and emergency prevention injections. They have also established full water-quality monitoring stations in resettlement zones for quake survivors.

"The ministry will focus on temporary resettlement zones, schools and other public areas to intensify prevention of epidemic diseases in the coming winter," Mao said.

"We would also enhance the monitoring and report of public health incidents and supervision on food and water safety in the quake zones," he added.

The 8.0-magnitude quake jolted China's southwest May 12 and killed about 80,000 people, left thousands more injured and rendered millions homeless.

(Xinhua News Agency December 24, 2008)