China's health authority has announced that officials plan to conduct surprise inspections in medical facilities to track down unfulfilled or manipulated data, amidst a broader call from global authorities for increased transparency. The country has faced months of pressure from other nations and health experts to disclose COVID-19 data and to be more prepared to share it, particularly regarding the official numbers of deaths and severe hospitalizations.
Advisors to the World Health Organization have recently called on China to publish all information related to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the new measures announced by the National Health Commission, regional governments will be responsible for daily oversight and conducting surprise inspections covering various aspects, including vaccine management in medical institutions, which will include verifying the receipt and storage of new vaccines.
Additionally, governments will be required to monitor whether reports of virus infections are being concealed, delayed, or manipulated, as well as to enhance the management of medical waste and the biosafety management of pathogenic microbiology laboratories. The Commission stated that local governments should proactively seek financial support to ensure funding for the costs associated with these surprise inspections.
