Beijing plans to provide more first-aid stations

Beijing will be adding 20 of their "999" first-aid stations by the end of the year, bringing the total to 150, mainly in densely populated areas or those with heavy traffic, according to Lv Shijie, of the capital's Red Cross Society.

Most of the 20 aid stations will be in residential areas and will be equipped with at least one ambulance and a doctor and nurse, as well as the usual stretchers, first-aid kits, and a variety of medicines.

A society representative also said the government will set standards on first-aid services, in efficiency and quality, this year, to further improve its emergency response time and rescue services.

These "999" stations are not for treatment per se, just a site for medical personnel and equipment. In the case of an emergency, the personnel can respond immediately and transfer the patient to the nearest hospital for treatment if necessary.

So far, they have received 1.84 million emergency calls and have responded to 162,800 people and handled four air ambulance missions, one of them for an American for the first seven month of this year.