The Ministry of Health has allocated 834 million yuan (US$101 million) for the purchase of medical equipment through public bidding next month, sources with the ministry said.

Funding is in place to purchase the equipment for 13 projects directly organized by the Ministry of Health, said Zhao Zilin, the ministry's deputy director of planning and finance.

An expert group organized by the ministry will look for bidders at the 12th China International Medical Equipment and Facilities Exposition and Symposia, scheduled for September 10-12 in Beijing.

Following a selection process, bidding will commence in mid-September and finish by the end of the year.

The 13 projects to be funded include basic rural medical construction in the western areas, HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B prevention and control, epidemics investigation and other items.

One-third of the total investment, or 290 million yuan (US$35 million), will go towards purchasing equipment for the national network for disease control, which played a pivotal role in China's fight against SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome).

Zhao also announced that 250 million yuan (US$30 million) will be spent on the purchase of 1,060 emergency vehicles, 80 million yuan (US$9.6 million) will buy advanced medical equipment for Beijing Hospital, and 72 million yuan (US$8.7 million) will be spent on hepatitis B vaccine and other tools.

China adopted the law on governmental purchase bidding in 2002.

The ministry set up a co-ordination team to oversee the purchases in April.

Zhao added his ministry will spend 3 billion yuan (US$361 million) on equipment in 2004.

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