The Council of Chairpersons of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, held its 36th meeting in Beijing on Monday to hear reports on amendments to laws and review legal documents.
Zhao Leji, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the meeting.
The meeting heard reports on the deliberation of a draft amendment to the Law on People's Congress Deputies, revision of the draft Value-Added Tax Law, a draft amendment to the Supervision Law, and a draft revision of the Science and Technology Popularization Law.
The meeting deliberated the relevant draft proposals and draft amendments.
The meeting also heard reports on the deliberation of extradition treaties between China and Zimbabwe, and between China and Surinam, and deliberated the draft decision on ratification of the treaties.
It also heard reports on the deliberation of a draft decision on the convening of the third session of the 14th NPC, qualifications of individual deputies, and deliberation of appointments and removals.
The meeting deliberated the relevant draft decisions.
The meeting decided to submit the aforesaid drafts and revised drafts to the 14th NPC Standing Committee session for deliberation.
NPC Standing Committee holds meeting of Council of Chairpersons on law amendments
Despite limited medical resources, a group of medical specialists from China has been doing their best to assist and treat victims of Vanuatu's recent devastating earthquakes.
A 7.3-magnitude quake struck the Pacific island nation on Tuesday, claiming at least 14 lives, injuring over 200 people, and causing widespread damage, including flattened homes and destroyed vehicles.
Adding to the devastation, a 6.1-magnitude quake struck again in the early hours of Sunday.
Amid the chaotic rescue efforts, a team of eight doctors and one nurse from China, who have been in Vanuatu since early September for a year-long rotation, is racing against time to assist patients at the Vila Central Hospital, the only hospital in the capital, Port Vila.
"Most of the patients suffered from fractures to the limbs -- arms or legs or hands," said Chen Mulei, leader of the medical team.
The hospital itself was also damaged in the earthquake.
"At the beginning, there's no electricity, there's no water and some medicine dropped off the walls," said Dr. Wang Rui.
The hospital quickly became overwhelmed with casualties, and to make matters worse, the operating theater was damaged and remained closed even days after the quake. As a result, all surgeries had to be moved to another part of the hospital.
"Each day we come here in the morning at about 08:00 to help all the rounds and see the seriously ill patients. And also in the afternoon and each night, we are on call. They moved [patients] to the ICU to do the operations. The operation room is very small and the resources are not enough. So there's limited treatment of the patients," the leader said.
"The most important [thing] is to reorganize the hospital and make sure every doctor has their job to treat the patients and the most important is the [work] of surgeons," Dr. Wang said.
Despite the obstacles and challenges of working in the aftermath of a major disaster, the team members said they are exactly where they want to be.
"It's our pleasure to come here and help this country with the earthquake [response]," Wang Guoji, a surgical nurse with the team.
Chinese medical team provides critical aid to Vanuatu earthquake victims
