A number of ministries, including the Ministry of Emergency Management and the Ministry of Education, and the National Medical Security Administration, have responded in the last week to issues of public concern.

More steps taken as flood risks continue

The Ministry of Emergency Management has urged greater efforts in flood control and disaster relief as the country braces for more floods in the coming weeks.

In a video conference on July 22, the ministry also urged firefighters in disaster relief efforts to play a greater role.

Huang Ming, Party chief of the ministry, said the country has entered a critical period in flood control and disaster relief as more floods are anticipated in August.

This year, the number of collapsed houses is up by 27 percent year-on-year, and the number of people relocated doubled, with the number of people missing down by 41 percent year-on-year, according to the ministry.

Related government departments and units should bolster forecasts and monitoring of weather and floods, and step up efforts to identify hazards caused by floods, landslides or mudflows.

Early warnings must be published to the target audience, and rescuers must be dispatched to areas where they are most needed to ensure minimum casualties, the ministry said.

Unified medical insurance in place next year

A unified national medical insurance service, allowing both urban and rural residents to enjoy equal benefits, will be in place by 2019, the National Medical Security Administration said on July 25.

In a notice jointly issued by the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the National Health Commission and the administration, local governments that have not yet started such services were urged to seize the moment and to put it into operation as soon as possible.

According to the notice, every resident will receive, on average, a minimum of 490 yuan ($72) from the government in his or her medical insurance account, a year, and is required to deposit 220 yuan from his or her pocket. Both figures are 40 yuan higher than 2017.

Greater opportunities for disabled people

Authorities will work to ensure the disabled people can enjoy a greater chance of receiving vocational education, according to a notice released recently by government departments and a federation.

The notice, jointly released by the Ministry of Education, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance and the China Disabled Persons’ Federation, requires that there is at least one vocational school that enrolls disabled students in each provincial area.

The notice also encourages employing disabled person for certain jobs, and said employment discrimination is forbidden.

Vocational schools should expand their enrollment of disabled students, and schools for disabled persons should set up tailored courses, the notice said.

The rehabilitation of disabled people should be conducted together with the learning of valuable professional skills, it said.

Local authorities should also increase funding for the education of disabled people, and make good use of development funds and employment aid for the disabled.

Safety inspection campaign set for launch

The Civil Aviation Administration of China will launch a three-month safety inspection.

The inspection will target five aspects of work in the civil aviation sector: organization, work style, education, operation management and emergency response, according to a notice released by the administration on July 23.

The administration will send work groups to conduct special inspections of carriers including Air China, Shenzhen Airlines and Tibet Airlines.

The administration required all related departments and units to conduct the safety inspection meticulously, establish long-term safety mechanisms and combine the targeted campaign with routine management.

Civil administration bureaus in different areas are required to come up with clear-cut measures and timetables for the immediate rectification of any problems found during the inspection.

This follows an incident in which an Air China flight en route from Hong Kong to Dalian plunged 7,600 meters in an emergency descent after a co-pilot mistakenly turned off air-conditioning systems in a bid to conceal his e-cigarette vapor on July 10.