S.Korea to Spend US$5.5 million on Preventing SARS Spread

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, May 07, 2003

S.Korea to Spend US$5.5 million on Preventing SARS Spread

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South Korean health authorities said Wednesday it will spend a total of 6.6 billion won (5.51 million US dollars) on measures to prevent the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which had seriously hit other countries and areas in Asia.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) of South Korea plans to spend 600 million won (500,000 dollars) in purchasing of beds and 16 artificial respiratory machines, national news agency Yonhap News reported.

A total of 1.1 billion won (916,667 dollars) will be allocated to the 13 hospitals nationwide designated as SARS treatment isolation areas, said Yonhap.

The remainder will be spent to enhance the functioning of quarantine offices, improve experimental facilities of NIH and purchase protective clothes and equipment.

The health agency also decided to begin polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests on all people suspected of contracting the infectious disease upon arrival of 500 SARS diagnosis kits from the United States. Such PCR test can determine whether the suspected and probable SARS cases are the confirm ones within short time, Yonhap reported.

As of Wednesday, South Korea reported 15 suspected SARS cases and one probable SARS patient.

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