The Red Cross Society of China on Saturday sent a working group to Wuhan, the center of the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak, to guide and supervise its local branches to better handle donations of medical supplies.

The group will communicate closely with the Hubei and Wuhan headquarters for the prevention and control of the epidemic, and help the society's Hubei branch and Wuhan branch to efficiently and transparently manage donations from the society for the disease control, it said.

The move followed the Red Cross Society of China Hubei branch's apology for the mismanagement of surgical masks and other protective gear donated to relieve the medical supply shortage in Hubei.

The society, designated by the Hubei provincial government to manage epidemic-related donations to the province, said it will exercise more caution over the task and welcomed oversight from authorities, media and internet users.