Special medical rescue teams will be set up in Guangzhou hospitals by the end of the year to improve the city's ability to deal with major incidents such as bio-terrorism.

The groups will also deal with medical aid in the case of nuclear radiation and chemical poisoning incidents, sources with the Guangzhou Health Bureau said yesterday.

The move came after a proposal put forward by Chen Anwei, a deputy with the Guangzhou People's Congress.

"Medical staff have difficulty handling major emergencies because they also have regular work to do," Chen said in her proposal earlier this year.

She called for separate teams to be set up in hospitals.

A medical team trained to deal with a bio-terror attack will be set up at the Guangzhou No 8 People's Hospital, said Ying Zhibiao, vice-president of the hospital.

It is usually mainly engaged in treating infectious and liver diseases.

The special team will consist of 15 experienced doctors from the hospital, according to Ying.

"Although there have been no bio-terror attacks in the city, we must set up such a team to make sure we can deal with possible accidents in the future," Ying told China Daily yesterday.

A emergency medical aid team to deal with nuclear radiation and chemical poisoning accidents will soon be set up at the Guangzhou No 12 People's Hospital, according to Huang Hui, a spokesman with the Guangzhou Health Bureau.

Guangzhou has seen many chemical accidents in recent years. The most recent was a chemical leak at a titanium dioxide factory in the city one week ago.

A total of five rescue teams to provide overall medical aid will also be set up at the Guangdong People's Hospital, the No One Affiliated Hospital of Zhongshan University, the Nanfang Hospital, the Zhujiang Hospital and the Guangzhou No One People's Hospital respectively by the end of this year.

Editor: Yan