"The submission of all forms, summaries, and investigations, unless defined necessary by law, should be suspended," a representative of the National Health Commission said at a media briefing on Sunday when asked about some medical employees wasting time and energy filling in forms and attending unnecessary meetings.

Reports say even at this critical moment in the fight against the novel coronavirus, some local officials hold long meetings with their subordinates, asking them to fill in one form after another.

Such formalities are a huge waste of time and energy, and hinder doctors, nurses, policemen and community workers' efforts to save lives. It is fair to say that those who subject their subordinates to one meeting after another and piles of forms are, in effect, obstructing the fight against the epidemic.

Some supervisors hold meetings only to be able to tell their superiors that they have delegated the work they themselves received; this helps them shrug off responsibility if a problem arises later. The whole thing indicates a lack of working spirit, too much red tape and officials indulging in it, which means they have actually failed in their duties.

Some argue that filling in forms helps staff members communicate necessary information to their superiors. That might be good, but is it necessary for a department to issue a form to every subordinate for every incident? Those on the front line in the fight against the epidemic often complain about having to fill in too many forms that often seek similar information. In this digital age, why can't agencies share information to avoid duplication and let subordinates report only the unknown parts?

The National Health Commission categorically said staff should not waste time and energy on filling in forms. It is hoped the local authorities will take heed of this suggestion and not unnecessarily burden their staff.