An emergency rescue team from Shanghai formally joined the World Health Organization's Emergency Medical Team Initiative after completing a rigorous classification process.

The recognition certifies that the team is capable of providing mobile emergency field hospitals and staff members in response to natural disasters and disease outbreaks.

"This means that when a disaster strikes and an affected country requests help we can quickly deploy medical teams that we know meet our high standards," said Dr Margaret Chan, director-general of the WHO.

China's National Emergency Rescue Team (Shanghai) has 56 core members, including medical and support staff. All are from Shanghai East Hospital's emergency, surgical, cardiac, neurology, orthopedics, respiratory, gynecology, pediatrics and anesthesia departments.

The hospital said some of the team members participated in medical rescue work in the devastating magnitude-8.0 Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan province in 2008, the magnitude-7.1 earthquake in Yushu, Qinghai province, the terrorist attack in Kunming, Yunnan province, in 2014 and the explosion in Kunshan, Jiangsu province, in 2014.

The team has nine advanced rescue vehicles with advanced equipment.

It was established in 2010 to provide emergency medical services for the Shanghai Expo, and in 2012 became one of China's 16 National Emergency Rescue Teams.

Team leader Liu Zhongmin, who is also president of Shanghai East Hospital, said the team is ready to accept assignments from the WHO and the Chinese government, and to participate in international medical rescue missions.

Emergency medical teams often play a critical role by providing support to national health systems through the delivery of clinical care to disaster-affected populations.

By classifying the teams, the WHO can assure disaster-affected governments and their populations of predictable and timely responses by well-trained medical personnel and self-sufficient teams, the organization said.

The classification process started in 2015 with more than 200 teams from at least 60 countries participating. The Shanghai team was among the first to sign up.

wanghongyi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 06/17/2016 page4)