The Beijing health authorities conducted a two-day inspection of SARS prevention and control work over the weekend, the first such investigation since the capital was removed from the list of areas with recent local transmission by the World Health Organization (WHO) late last month.

The inspection and a series of actions aim to protect the city from new possible SARS outbreaks in winter and spring, said Han Demin, executive vice-director of the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau and director of the Beijing SARS Prevention and Control Office, which was established to replace parts of the functions of the former joint working team for SARS prevention and treatment.

"The inspection proved that the fever clinics and other prevention measures have not slackened in the two weeks since Beijing was declared SARS free," he said in an exclusive interview.

Han said the prevention and control measures remain effective. But sources said the overall result of the inspection will not be out until today.

The inspection, which ended yesterday, focused on the 24 designated fever clinics among all 66 such clinics in Beijing's hospitals, district-level health bureaux and local centres for disease control and prevention by a 40-member expert team in four groups.

Inspections like this will continue in the future to guarantee the health of the city, said the official.

Beijing's actions echoed the urging of WHO Director-General Gro Harlem Brundtland to continue vigilance and sensitive surveillance for SARS in the areas that were most affected.

Brundtland made the remarks at a WHO virtual press briefing on Saturday in Geneva.

Preparing for the next outbreak requires restoring and strengthening the public healthcare infrastructure, she said.

More epidemiologists and other public health specialists are needed. Better surveillance and response systems must be established which include strong links between national, regional and global reporting mechanisms.

"SARS is teaching us many lessons," said Brundtland. "Now we must translate those lessons into action. We may have very little time, and we must use it wisely."

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