Temporary quarters for all medical institutions in southwest China's quake zone will be finished by the end of this month, so as to fully restore medical service, the Ministry of Health said on Thursday.

As of August 10, about 70 percent of the temporary structures needed in Sichuan Province had been built in the province's 42 quake-hit areas.

Construction work is almost done in Shaanxi Province's hardest-hit city, Baoji, and Hanzhong District, and work is going well in Gansu Province, according to the ministry.

Work has gone slowly in a few places because of transport problems. The ministry said it was coordinating among different departments to ensure medical service.

Under the rebuilding plan, the medical care system will be restored by the end of 2008.

The reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and medical facilities is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2009, and all medical service functions are scheduled to be restored by the end of 2010.

The plan involves the rebuilding of 169 hospitals, 63 disease control centers, 52 maternal and child health centers, 1,263 town and township clinics, seven drug inspection agencies and 67 other institutions.

About 12 billion yuan (about US$1.75 billion) is said to be needed to restore medical services.

The May 12 quake is known to have killed more than 69,000 people, and it also injured hundreds of thousands of people and damaged the health care system, with hospitals destroyed and staff killed.

(Xinhua News Agency August 21, 2008)