Beijing has reduced its hospitals designated for SARS (sever acute respiratory syndrome) patients to seven with new cases declining, said a senior Beijing official Saturday.

The municipal anti-SARS joint task force decided on May 27 to retain only seven of the 16 SARS-only hospitals, except for the hospitals in the aviation and railway systems, municipal publicity head Cai Fuchao said at a press conference.

"We will concentrate all SARS patients in the seven hospitals with better medical care facilities," said Cai, also an official with the city's anti-SARS joint task force.

Cai said the seven hospitals have a total of 2503 ward beds but the city's overall number of SARS patients now being hospitalized is only 1377.

That means there are still 1126 beds in reserve in the designated hospitals after the reduction, Cai said, adding the other hospitals will resume normal medical service.

But those hospitals will remain alert and their special medical equipment for treatment of SARS cases will be kept ready, Cai said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 31, 2003)