By James Middleton, Clear The Air – 23 May 09
The Chinese Ministry of Health yesterday released its much awaited “Decision” requiring all medical administration offices and medical facilities to go completely smoke-free by 2011. The date on the document is May 20.
All health administration offices (i.e. health bureaus, CDCs, etc.) and half of medical and health institutions (i.e. hospitals and clinics) are required to go smoke-free by 2010. The other half of hospitals and clinics are required to be completely smoke-free by 2011.
The document is issued jointly by the Ministry of Health, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Health Department of the General Logistics Department of People’s Liberation Army, and the Logistics Department of the Armed Police Forces. It thus covers most health facilities in China, including military hospitals, armed police hospitals, traditional Chinese medicine hospitals, and hospitals in the Ministry of Health system. It would seem not to include hospitals run by the railways.
The head of the leading small group for the initiative is Minister of Health Chen Zhu. The initiative’s office is headed by Yang Qing, Director General of the Department of Maternal and Child Health and Community Health at MOH.
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http://news.workercn.cn/contentfile/2009/05/22/13390758461983.html
http://www.moh.gov.cn/publicfiles/business/htmlfiles/mohfybjysqwss/s3590/200905/40809.htm
Website of Ministry of Health, May 22, 2009
(This English Version was translated by James Middleton, CTA)
On May 20, the Ministry of Health, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Health Department of the General Logistics Department of People’s Liberation Army, and the Logistics Department of the Armed Police Forces jointly issued the “Decision on banning smoking completely in the medical and health system from 2011”. The “Decision” provides that by the year 2010, all health administration offices, both military and non-military, and at least 50% of all medical and health institutions should become smoke-free units, so that the goal of a total smoking ban in all health administration offices and medical and health institutions can be fulfilled by 2011.
The “Decision” requests that all localities and units should set up multi-agency FCTC Implementation Leading Small Groups, responsible for developing specific work plans for banning smoking completely in health administration offices and health institutions under their jurisdiction; strengthen the building of professional teams; and by 2010 gradually establish and improve the tobacco control network from provincial level to county level, from military region level to regiment level. All localities and all units should adopt the creation of smoke-free medical institutions into their merit rating systems and their spiritual civilization construction activities; the realization of a total smoking ban in health administration offices and health institutions should be included in the annual work plan with financial support provided. Health administration offices (both military and civil) at all levels should enhance tobacco control publicity and legal system construction, in combination with the creation of Healthy Cities (Townships), Civilized Cities, and Civilized Military Camps. Indicators such as medical staff quitting smoking, no smoking in public places and workplaces, publicizing knowledge on hazards of tobacco, dissuading people from smoking, and providing smoking cessation services should be adopted into the “Guidelines on Hospital Management Evaluation,” “Basic Functions of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at All Levels,” and other regulations on management of health institutions. All kinds of medical institutions (both military and civil) at all levels should establish a system of inquiring about patients’ smoking history, integrate it into standard medical evaluation, and provide smoking cessation guidance to smoking patients. All kinds of health administration offices and medical and health institutions at all levels (both military and civil) are not allowed to entertain guests with cigarettes, and should provide smoking cessation assistance to smoking staff.
Meanwhile, military and civil health administration offices at all levels should make the most of important events such as World No Tobacco Day to actively promote the importance of implementing a total smoking ban in health administration offices and medical and health institutions; mobilize and guide the media to actively publicize the idea of a total smoking ban in military and civil health administration offices and medical and health institutions, and through such mass media publicity activities, get other sectors involved in the tobacco control initiative and consciously stay away from tobacco. Strengthen multi-agency cooperation to promote the total smoking ban in health administration offices and medical and health institutions.
Decision on banning smoking completely in medical and health system from 2011
Health Maternal and Child Health and Community Health (2009) No. 48
To
Health bureaus / departments of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government;
State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine;
Health Bureau of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps;
Relevant Units Directly Under the Ministry of Health;
Units Directly Under the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine;
Hospitals Directly Under or Managed by the Ministry of Health;
Hospitals Directly Under or Managed by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine;
Combined Logistics Departments of all Military Regions;
Health Departments of Logistics Departments of all Categories of Troops;
Logistics Department of the Third Department of the General Staff Headquarters;
Management and Logistics Department of the General Staff Headquarters;
Direct Subordinate Workforce of the General Political Department;
Health Bureau of the Logistics Department of the General Armaments Department; Health Departments (Divisions) of the PLA University of National Defense;
National University of Defense Technology;
Academy of Military Sciences;
Health Departments Directly Under the General Logistics Department;
Logistics Departments of all Corps;
Mobile divisions, Commands, and Academies Directly under the Armed Police:
The World Health Organization’s “Framework Convention on Tobacco Control” (hereinafter referred to as the “Convention”) is the first legally binding multilateral treaty in the field of medicine and public health. On January 9, 2006, the “Convention” came into effect in China.
Article 8 of the “Convention” requires Parties to take effective measures to guard against public exposure to tobacco smoke. In July 2007, the Second Conference of the Parties to the Convention adopted the “Guidelines on Protection from Exposure to Tobacco Smoke” (hereinafter referred to as “Guidelines”). In accordance with the requirements of the “Guidelines,” starting from January 2011, China should ban smoking completely in all indoor public places, indoor workplaces, public transport vehicles and other possible outdoor public places.
Banning smoking in public places and workplaces has become the trend of the times. In December 2005, the World Health Organization announced that it would no longer employ smokers and would provide smoking cessation assistance to smoking staff. According to World Health Organization statistics on 194 countries, by the end of 2007, 84 countries and regions had passed laws and regulations to ban smoking in public places and workplaces, of which 16 countries and regions had enforced total smoking bans in all institutions, and 68 countries and regions had implemented total smoking bans in more than two categories of institutions including medical and health institutions. In January 2007, China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region implemented its “Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance”, requesting to meet the target of “Smoke-free Hong Kong” before June 30, 2009. By that time, all indoor public places and workplaces in Hong Kong should have banned smoking completely.
In 1998, the World Health Organization classified tobacco dependence as a chronic disease and listed it in the International Classification of Diseases as No. F17.2, confirming that tobacco is the greatest threat to the health of mankind. China now has more than 300 million smokers and 540 million people exposed to secondhand smoke, including 180 million children under the age of 15. Each year about 1 million people die from smoking-related diseases.
Controlling smoking and fulfilling the requirements of the FCTC are the responsibility of everyone. Military and civil health administration offices and medical and health institutions, in particular, should play a leading role. To take the lead in implementation of FCTC, in line with the spirit of the “Convention” and the “guidelines” and combined with the reality of our country, it is decided that from 2011, all health administration offices at all levels and medical and health institutions all around the country shall implement a total smoking ban. And the following requirements are made.
1. Strengthen leadership; make sure health administration offices and medical institutions meet their responsibilities in implementing the FCTC.
A total ban on smoking in all military and civil health administration offices at all levels and medical and health institutions is an important aspect of FCTC implementation. All localities and units should fully understand the importance, necessity and urgency of this work, set up a multi-agency FCTC implementation leading small group, with the chief responsible official as group leader, and the officials in charge as deputy leaders, thus effectively strengthening organization and leadership.
In combination with the current deepening reform of the medical and health system, the job functions of competent responsible departments should be clarified. Study and formulate FCTC implementation work plan, formulate detailed work plan on implementation of the total smoking ban in local health administration offices. Strengthen the construction of professional teams, by 2010 gradually establish and improve the tobacco control network from provincial level to county level, from Military Region level to regiment level.
2. Strengthen tobacco control measures; strengthen tobacco control efforts in a comprehensive way
All localities and all units should follow the requirements of the “Standards for Smoke-free Medical and Health Institutions (trial version)” jointly issued by the Ministry of Health and National Patriotic Health Campaign Committee, actively implement a total smoking ban in health administration offices and medical and health institutions, and adopt the creation of smoke-free medical institutions into the merit rating system and spiritual civilization construction system in both military and civil units;
The establishment of a total smoking ban in health administration offices and health institutions should be adopted into the annual work plan with financial support provided. Combine with the “Central Government subsidizing local governments” program and various smoke-free public places creation programs, earnestly implement the total smoking ban in health administration offices and medical and health institutions, actively create smoke-free medical and health institutions, and conduct smoke-free environmental monitoring in health administration offices and medical and health institutions.
Both military and civil health administration offices at all levels should enhance tobacco control publicity and legal system construction, in combination with the creation of Healthy Cities (Townships), Civilized Cities, and Civilized Military Camps. Indicators such as medical staff quitting smoking, no smoking in public places and workplaces, publicizing knowledge of the hazards of tobacco, dissuading people from smoking, and providing smoking cessation services should be adopted into the “Guidelines on Hospital Management Evaluation,” “Basic Functions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at All Levels,” and other regulations on management of health institutions, so as to comprehensively promote the creation of smoke-free health institutions of all categories at all levels and realize the goal of a total smoking ban in all indoor public places and workplaces. All kinds of medical institutions (both military and civil) at all levels should establish a system of inquiring about patients’ smoking history, integrate it into standard medical evaluation, and provide smoking cessation guidance to smoking patients. All kinds of health administration offices and medical and health institutions at all levels (both military and civil) are not allowed to entertain guests with cigarettes, and should provide smoking cessation assistance to smoking staff.
3. Conduct extensive mobilization; actively create an atmosphere favorable for tobacco control
While carrying out daily tobacco control work, military and civil health administration offices at all levels should make the most of important events such as World No Tobacco Day to actively promote the importance of implementing a total smoking ban in health administration offices and medical and health institutions. They should mobilize and guide the media to actively publicize the idea of a total smoking ban in military and civil health administration offices and medical and health institutions, and through such mass media publicity activities, get other sectors involved in the tobacco control initiative and consciously stay away from tobacco. Meanwhile, make use of public opinion supervision to push health administration offices and medical and health institutions to implement a total ban on smoking.
Strengthen multi-agency cooperation, mobilize the whole society, bring into full play the strength of tobacco control associations all over the country and other organizations, and promote a total smoking ban in health administration offices and medical and health institutions.
4. Conduct supervision and inspection; strive to fulfill the goal of a total smoking ban in the whole health system nationwide
By 2010, all military and civil health administration offices and at least 50% of medical and health institutions should become smoke-free units, so that the goal of total smoking ban in all health administration offices and medical and health institutions can be achieved by 2011.
Health administration offices at provincial level and top military level should organize regular supervision and inspection based on the actual situation. The Ministry of Health, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Health Department of the General Logistics Department, and Logistics Department of the Armed Police Forces shall, at appropriate times, jointly organize supervision and appraisal on the creation of smoke-free health administration offices and medical and health institutions, circulate the results of the supervision and appraisal, and cite the units with outstanding achievements.
Health administration departments at the top military level and provincial level and the Health Department of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine are requested to report the implementation plans of this Decision to the Ministry of Health, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Health Department of the General Logistics Department, and Logistics Department of the Armed Police Forces. The relevant health offices should summarize and circulate it in due course.
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Ministry of Health
State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Department of the General Logistics Department,
Logistics Department of the Armed Police Forces
May 20, 2009
Addendum: Name list of the National Medical and Health System FCTC Implementation Leading Small Group
Leader: Chen Zhu, Minister of Health
Deputy Leaders:
o Huang Jiefu, Vice Minister, Ministry of Health
o Liu Qian, Vice Minister, Ministry of Health
o Li Ning, Deputy Chief of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine
o Wang Yumin, Deputy Director General of Health Department of the General Logistics Department
o Shi Liqiang, Director General of Health Department of the Armed Police Forces
Members:
o Yang Qing, Director General, Department of Maternal and Child Health and Community Health, Ministry of Health
o Ren Minghui, Director General, Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Health
o Sun Jiahai, Deputy Director General, General Office, Ministry of Health
o He Jinguo, Deputy Director General, Department of Planning and Finance, Ministry of Health
o Liu Xinming, Director General, Department of Health Policy and Regulation, Ministry of Health
o Qi Xiaoqiu, Director General, Disease Prevention and Control Bureau (National Patriotic Health Campaign Committee Office), Ministry of Health
o Wang Yu, Director General, Department of Medical Administration, Ministry of Health
o Zhang Zongjiu, Director General, Department of Medical Services Supervision and Management, Ministry of Health
o Wang Xuening, Deputy Director General, Health Supervision Department, Ministry of Health
o Yu Xiucheng, Deputy Inspector, Department of Science, Technology and Education, Ministry of Health
o Li Liming, Party Secretary of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
o Yang Gonghuan, Deputy Director General, Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
o Zha Dezhong, Deputy Director General, Department of Medical Affairs, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine
o Wang Xiaopin, Deputy Director General, Department of International Affairs, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine
o Zhu Hao, Director General, Health and Epidemic Prevention Bureau, Health Department of General Logistics Department
o Li Qingjie, Director General of Medical Management Bureau, Health Department of the General Logistics Department
o Xu Tianhao, Deputy Director of Comprehensive Planning Division, Military Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
o Hou Donghong, Deputy Director of Health Department, Logistics Department of the Armed Police Forces
An office has been set up under the leading small group and is headed by Yang Qing, Director General, Department of Maternal and Child Health and Community Health,