784 under treatment in hospital after earthquake in China's Gansu

JISHISHAN, Gansu Province, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Hospitals in northwest China's Gansu Province are currently administering treatments to a total of 784 people injured in the 6.2-magnitude earthquake that jolted the province at 11:59 p.m. Monday, claiming 113 lives, according to a press conference held on Thursday.

They have been admitted to provincial, prefectural and county-level medical institutions in Gansu, said Bai Yuping, deputy director of the provincial health commission, adding that 19 temporary medical treatment stations and one mobile hospital have been set up to meet the needs of people in the disaster-hit areas.

In the past few days, 21 medical teams have been swiftly dispatched to 35 affected villages to conduct door-to-door visits, Bai said.

A total of 102,000 boxes of essential medicines for common ailments like cold, trauma, digestive tract issues, as well as hypertension and diabetes, have been distributed to those in need while further arrangements are being made to send more to the earthquake-affected areas, he added.

A total of 28 national and provincial-level mental health experts have rushed to Gansu to offer psychological counseling to hospitalized patients and their companions, the families of the victims, and those affected by the earthquake, including disaster relief workers, Bai said.

He added that Gansu is working to set up 35 psychological counseling teams, consisting of 70 members, to visit the 35 villages affected by the earthquake and deliver in-home psychological counseling services. In addition, over 50 mental health experts from various parts of the country will be invited to carry out online psychological crisis intervention and health consultations for the local people.