By hannover-web.com Traveling just over 200 kilometers south from Beijing, one arrives at the People’s Hospital in Huanghua City, Cangzhou, Hebei Province. For nearly a decade, experts from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences under the China National Democratic Construction Association have journeyed this familiar route almost every year.
In 2015, when Feng Xiaoli, Chair of the Committee and Deputy Director of the Pathology Department at the Academy’s Cancer Hospital, first visited Huanghua City People’s Hospital, she was struck by the facility’s lack of equipment, technology, and qualified personnel. In just half an hour, Feng spent time suggesting to the hospital administration that they must prioritize developing the pathology department if they hoped to see progress in both surgery and oncology.
Little did Feng know that this short conversation would establish a crucial “support bridge” between the Beijing municipal committee and Huanghua City’s medical community.
Keeping Patients “Local”
“Previously, many patients with malignant tumors felt that the local healthcare conditions were inadequate and that they needed to travel to larger hospitals in Tianjin or Beijing,” recalled Liu Zhaorong, Deputy Chief Physician of the Pathology Department. Ten years ago, major hospitals were already performing advanced laparoscopic techniques, while the local facility was still relying on open surgeries.
The limited skill set of local healthcare providers resulted in the inability to retain patients, which became a significant source of frustration for physicians.
Liu Zhaorong vividly remembers Feng Xiaoli’s visit in 2015. “After learning about our challenges, Director Feng immediately suggested we acquire an immunohistochemistry staining machine.” The introduction of this equipment allowed for more precise diagnosis of complex tumors locally.
By the end of 2016, the Beijing Committee awarded Huanghua City People’s Hospital the title of “Joint Base for Coordinated Development in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei,” officially launching a partnership aimed at mutual support.
New equipment, including a microscope and a 6250 freezing microtome, began to arrive, and a “remote consultation” system from the Academy’s Cancer Hospital was gradually implemented.
“In September of this year, a patient diagnosed with lymphoma at our hospital needed further classification. If he had gone out for consultation, it would have been time-consuming and exhausting,” Liu explained. He proposed conducting immunohistochemistry locally, followed by a remote consultation with Feng Xiaoli. Within a month, the diagnosis was completed, allowing the patient to start chemotherapy without unnecessary travel. “With expert guidance, we could quickly determine the next surgical steps, reducing the patient’s suffering and making top-tier medical care accessible right here in Huanghua,” Liu said with a smile.
Inspiring Local Physicians
The benefits of this partnership have also reached the doctors at Huanghua City People’s Hospital. Since 2015, the hospital has started sending anesthesiologists for training at the Academy’s Cancer Hospital.
Why start with anesthesiology? Guo Yanshen, Secretary of the Committee and Associate Researcher at the Academy of Medical Sciences’ Drug Research Institute, explained, “If pathology is the ‘eye’ of surgery, then anesthesiology is the ‘lifeline.’ Both departments must improve for specialists to assist patients effectively during surgery.”
Shen Haiyang, one of the first trainees, recalled the challenges during surgeries. Previously, when performing thoracic surgery anesthesia, they often needed to deflate the lung on the surgical side while ensuring the patient’s oxygenation. However, due to insufficient theoretical knowledge and practical experience, patients often experienced oxygen deprivation and incomplete lung deflation.
“Post-training, these issues have become manageable,” he noted. Returning from the Academy, trainees introduced new techniques and tools like depth of anesthesia monitoring and muscle relaxation monitoring.
“Having a depth of anesthesia monitor allows us to track the patient’s anesthetic state through brainwaves, precisely adjusting medication doses to prevent oversedation or undersedation,” Shen explained.
Beyond anesthesiology, nearly all pathologists at Huanghua People’s Hospital have trained at the Academy. Feng Xiaoli shared that such exchanges not only enhance local doctors’ skills but also bolster trust between medical professionals and the hospital. “Now, for many procedures, our experts are willing to operate in Huanghua, signaling their confidence in the local diagnostic results.”
A Legacy Beyond Huanghua
To further integrate health into community life, the Committee has also focused on training “health literacy doctors” in their outreach areas.
In 2016, Yuan Fonglan, former Director of the Cancer Prevention Department at the Academy, made several visits to Huanghua City People’s Hospital, training a cohort of health education instructors and establishing the “Caring for the People” health platform on Huanghua TV. To date, they have produced 132 programs on topics like cancer prevention and pediatric diarrhea treatment, benefiting the local population.
Similarly, the People’s Hospital in Luanzhou City, located in Tangshan, has enjoyed the health benefits of this educational outreach. As another hospital supported by the Academy, “initially, schools and businesses were mostly passive recipients of health education, but now they actively reach out to us to conduct health promotion activities,” shared He Jiangtao, Director of External Affairs at the Luanzhou hospital.
With the deepening of health education, the community’s health awareness has progressively strengthened. Between 2017 and 2019, the local health checkup numbers soared from over 5,000 to more than 27,000, while outpatient visits increased from 480,000 to 560,000.
Institutions like Huanghua City People’s Hospital and Luanzhou City People’s Hospital illustrate the growing emergence of “permanent medical teams,” expanding the reach of the Committee’s social services.
As they enter a pivotal new decade for their “Joint Base for Coordinated Development in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei,” the Committee is set to launch a new phase of cooperative development for social services. This time, they look forward to establishing unique brand activities that enhance resource sharing and coordinated efforts across the three regions, further strengthening their collective impact in the field of social services.
