Chinese health authorities pledge cleaner toilets in hospitals

BEIJING - Health authorities have issued an action plan pledging to make all hospital toilets clean, hygienic and tidy by the end of 2019.

The action plan, with a theme of jointly advancing the "toilet revolution" campaign and promoting health and wellness, was jointly initiated by the National Health Commission and the office of the National Patriotic Health Campaign Commission.

The action plan is meant to raise people's awareness of public sanitation and help them cultivate a healthy lifestyle, it said.

Efforts should be made to improve infrastructure and enhance sanitation management, with a focus on environmental protection, according to the action plan.

An alarm system should be implemented in hospital restrooms for the convenience of the elderly while barrier-free facilities should be provided in hospital toilets for the pregnant and children, it added.