Top Hubei health officials removed from office

Zhang Jin (L) and Liu Yingzi

BEIJING — The top two officials of the Hubei provincial health commission have been removed from their posts, according to a media release from the Hubei Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China.

The decision to sack the duo, the commission’s Party chief Zhang Jin and its director Liu Yingzi, was made by the committee on Monday.

Wang Hesheng

The two posts will be both shouldered by Wang Hesheng, who was announced to be appointed on Saturday as standing committee member of the CPC Hubei Provincial Committee in a move to bolster the front-line efforts to combat the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak that originated in the province.

Wang was vice-minister of the National Health Commission before his transfer to Hubei.

According to the website of the commission, Wang heads healthcare reform and medical administration of the country’s top health authority. He has been the deputy head of the authority since 2016.