BEIJING -- China's environmental inspectors have found that more than half of the nearly 40,000 enterprises checked have violated environmental rules. The findings came after four months of inspections across 28 cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and other nearby areas, which resulted in the discovery of problems including excessive emissions and insufficient pollution control equipment, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) said Tuesday. The inspectors, who are undertaking a year-long on-site investigation to discover the sources of air pollution in the region, exposed 7,109 companies with unauthorized locations, lacking relevant certifications, or failing to meet emission standards. The teams also found 2,349 companies have been operating without any pollutant treatment facilities, while another 1,971 companies have pollutant treatment facilities that have been malfunctioning. The MEP said it will require local authorities to further investigate these firms and rectify the problems. The inspections are part of China's campaign to fight pollution and environmental degradation as decades of growth have left the country with smog, polluted water and contaminated soil. The country started inspections amid widespread concerns about smog in its northern region. China will soon launch a new round of central environmental inspections covering eight provincial-level areas, as the country finishes nationwide investigations into local environmental protection efforts, according to a MEP statement Monday. paper bracelet templatewristband keychain1 inch wide rubber bandsdebossed wristband24 hour braceletscustom printed wristbands
BEIJING -- China is working to reduce the prices of cancer drugs and the financial burden on patients, according to health officials Saturday. Prices of cancer drugs will be reduced through centralized negotiations and procurement, Zeng Yixin, vice director of the National Health Commission, said at a press conference. According to Chen Jinfu, head of the medical insurance department of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, last year the government reached agreements with pharmaceutical enterprises on the prices of 36 cancer medicines on the medical insurance list. Prices of these drugs have been marked down by 44 percent on average, Chen said. Stressing a patient-centered approach in negotiations, the official also noted that market competition is also needed. The government will work to include more antineoplastic drugs into the country's catalogue of medical insurance reimbursement, which already incorporates most of the relevant drugs. Moreover, efforts have been made in accelerating the review and approval procedures for new medicines, reducing circulation costs and improving diagnosis to reduce the burden on patients and their families, Zeng said. The average approval time for imported drugs has been significantly shortened, and the customs clearance procedures streamlined, said Li Jinju, an official with China Food and Drug Administration. The Ministry of Finance announced Monday that China will exempt 28 drugs from import tariffs, including all cancer drugs from May 1, as part of wider opening of the market. Admitting that the tariff cut may challenge China's domestic pharmaceutical industry, Liu Dengfeng of the health commission expressed confidence in tackling it. China's medical research and development has progressed in recent years with the talent pool getting stronger and innovation booming, he said.
