2025
Nighttime Heavy Helicopter Airlift Saves Critically Injured Worker
On February 3, 2025 (the sixth day of Lunar New Year), at 18:00 in the evening, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (hereinafter referred to as HKU-Shenzhen Hospital) received an urgent notification regarding the imminent arrival of a critically injured patient via air medical transport. A worker on an offshore drilling platform over 200 kilometers from Shenzhen had suffered transient loss of consciousness and hypotension due to an ultra-high-pressure petrochemical steam blast. After initial treatment by platform medics, HKU-Shenzhen Hospital was contacted for helicopter evacuation, with an estimated arrival time of 20:00 for further emergency care.Upon notification, the Department of Accident and Emergency (A&E) immediately activated emergency protocols. The trauma team was mobilized, night-flight operations for the helipad were initiated, and the landing area was cleared for safe helicopter arrival. By 19:30, Dr. Shan Aijun, Director of the Department of A&E, had coordinated with the patient's colleagues to assess the situation and led the trauma team to the helipad for preparation.After approximately one hour of flight, the helicopter arrived at HKU-Shenzhen Hospital and landed smoothly at 20:06. Dr. Shan promptly boarded to evaluate the patient, who remained conscious with stable vital signs. Medical staff implemented spinal precautions using a cervical collar and backboard, transferring the patient to a gurney for immediate CT scans.Within 10 minutes, comprehensive imaging of the head, neck, chest, and abdomen was completed. Multidisciplinary specialists conducted on-site image reviews, and by 20:30, the patient returned to the resuscitation area. Subsequent evaluations confirmed blast injuries including left ocular trauma (requiring further corneal/conjunctival assessment), left facial soft tissue damage, bilateral pulmonary contusions, and potential chemical exposure.The emergency team initiated intravenous fluid resuscitation, oxygen therapy, and ocular protection. Following stabilization and multidisciplinary consultation, the patient was admitted for monitoring before being transferred to a local hospital for rehabilitation.As an aviation rescue dispatch point for Shenzhen Emergency Center, HKU-Shenzhen Hospital maintains 24/7 capabilities for heavy helicopter operations. Through collaborations with Hong Kong Fire Services Department and Government Flying Service, the hospital continues to advance aeromedical rescue standards in the Greater Bay Area.This successful night rescue operation demonstrated HKU-Shenzhen Hospital's exceptional emergency response coordination. Notably, as a designated "Trauma Care Center Construction Unit" under China Trauma Care Alliance, the hospital regularly hosts trauma forums to promote standardized rescue protocols across the region.Upholding its "Patient Lives First" philosophy, HKU-Shenzhen Hospital remains committed to delivering high-quality, efficient medical services in the new year, safeguarding community health through continuous emergency care advancements..2024
Direct cross-border ambulance transfers begin 深圳120救护车可直达香港公立医院
In a groundbreaking move to enhance regional healthcare cooperation, a pilot program for direct cross-boundary ambulance transfers between Guangdong Province and Hong Kong was officially launched on November 30th.The first phase of the program will begin with arranging direct cross-boundary ambulance transfers for patients from designated sending hospitals in Shenzhen, such as The University of Hong Kong – Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH), to designated public hospitals in Hong Kong. Medical staff from Shenzhen and Hong Kong exchange patient information during a cross-border direct ambulance drill Oct. 31. Photos from Nanfang DailyUpon assessment and agreement by the teams of designated cross-boundary collaborating hospitals, arrangements can be made for patients with specific clinical needs and suitable clinical conditions to be transferred directly to Hong Kong hospitals without transferring patients between ambulances at boundary control points, thus minimizing any risks posed to patients during transfer. A notable aspect of this pilot program is the participation of mainland medical staff. These healthcare professionals, who will be aboard the ambulances, will apply for limited registration with Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority, thereby obtaining medical qualifications within Hong Kong.The trial program, set to last for one year, is an integral part of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). It represents the first practical application of cross-border ambulance services in the region.A cross-border direct ambulance departs Shenzhen and enters Hong Kong during a drill Oct. 31.Kenneth M.C. Cheung, hospital chief executive of HKU-SZH, expressed confidence in the hospital’s ability to provide enhanced medical care for residents in the Greater Bay Area. “We are committed to demonstrating medical integration in the GBA and offering more diverse experiences in healthcare,” said Cheung.To be fully prepared, the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao conducted three drills in August and October of this year, simulating the cross-boundary transfer of patients by ambulance. Guangdong and Hong Kong's health authorities plan to deepen their cooperation and explore expanding the scope of designated hospitals in mainland cities of the GBA, thereby promoting further medical integration in the region.Credit: Reporter Zhang Yu and Editors Cynthia, Yunfei , Shenzhen DailyEdited by HKU-SZH.2024
Hetao forum highlights biomedicine industry
THE 2024 Hetao Innovation Forum on biomedicine took place at the Hetao Innovation Center in Futian District on Novemberthe 25th.At the forum, the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital unveiled its Translational Medicine Research Center, and the Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital officially opened its Medical Innovation Technology Transfer Center.Both centers are located in the Shenzhen park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone.The Translational Medicine Research Center will concentrate on four areas — oncology, reproductive health, orthopedic diseases, and rare diseases — and work to expedite the conversion of basic medical research findings into clinical applications.The Medical Innovation Technology Transfer Center, an essential platform for the hospital’s transition to a high-level research facility, will focus on the research and development of advanced medical equipment, biomedical technology innovation, and cell and gene therapies.Hua Haining, vice president of Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone Development Ltd., emphasized that the forum, along with the two new centers, are crucial strides for Shenzhen and Hong Kong in implementing the development outlines of Hetao.Yesterday, the forum featured a keynote speech session and a dialogue session centered on building a biomedicine hub in Hetao. Today, a subforum on organs and organs-on-a-chip is taking place.Situated on the border between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, Hetao, occupying a total area of 389 hectares, serves as a pioneering zone for enhancing technological collaboration between the two cities and acts as a nucleus for the transfer of technological breakthroughs within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.Credit: Reporter Wang Jingli , Shenzhen DailyEdited by HKU-SZH.2024
Shenzhen leads in medical reforms, saves ¥14B in procurement
People wait in line to pick up their prescribed medication at a healthcare center in Nanshan District in this undated file photo. Photo from WeChat account “深卫在线”Shenzhen has taken significant steps to promote medical reforms and introduced innovative mechanisms to revamp its healthcare system, according to a city official at a press conference hosted by the National Health Commission in Shenzhen today.The city has taken a pioneering role in the cancellation of drug markups and the centralized procurement of drugs and medical consumables. These efforts have led to savings of 14 billion yuan (US$1.92 billion) in procurement costs, said Chen Qing, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee.Since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), Shenzhen has invested a total of 180.5 billion yuan in health finance, with an average annual growth rate of 11%, according to Chen. “The city has established an investment guarantee mechanism for public hospitals, ensuring that all public hospitals operate without debt,” Chen said.He added that in 2023, personal health expenditure accounted for 16.2% of the city’s total health expenditure, indicating that the burden of medical treatment on residents had been greatly reduced.Chen emphasized that Shenzhen has made a significant stride in advancing the internationalization of China’s International Hospital Accreditation Standards, which were compiled by the Shenzhen Hospital Accreditation Research Center. On Sunday, the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital became the first Hong Kong hospital to be accredited under the standards, marking a key milestone in cross-border medical evaluation.On the same day, the Shenzhen Hospital Accreditation Research Center Hong Kong Office was officially opened, which will help expand China’s International Hospital Accreditation Standards to countries and regions along the Belt and Road and around the world.Xu Xiaoping, Party chief of HKU-SZH, shares the hospital's experience in fostering cross-border healthcare integration between Shenzhen and Hong Kong during a field tour for the media this morning. Zhang Yu The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH) represents a collaborative medical endeavor between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. It has implemented innovative strategies and achieved notable success in fostering cross-border integration of healthcare services, according to Xu Xiaoping, Party chief of the hospital. As the first mainland hospital to pioneer the remote settlement of Hong Kong medical service fees, HKU-SZH has implemented a pilot scheme supporting patients under Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority and the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme, providing services for Hong Kong patients more than 167,000 times, Xu said.Additionally, it has taken the initiative to pilot direct cross-boundary ambulance transfers and the Hong Kong and Macao Medicine and Equipment Connect program.“To date, it has received approval to utilize 27 imported medications and 17 imported medical devices, with over 5,000 instances of use. The insights gained from this pilot have been expanded to 45 designated medical institutions across nine cities within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area,” Xu noted.For talent connectivity, a mechanism has been set up to align the professional titles of Hong Kong physicians with their mainland counterparts, resulting in 37 esteemed Hong Kong doctors being awarded senior professional titles. They now enjoy equal status in terms of job appointments, research project initiation, and academic discipline development. Luohu District’s medical reform has been a benchmark for the advancement of the healthcare system in Shenzhen. In recent years, the district has also introduced a series of innovative measures, according to Zuo Jinping, head of the Luohu District Government.Zuo said that Luohu District’s medical reform, initiated in 2015, has focused on grassroots-level reforms, emphasizing institutional and mechanism changes aimed at reducing illnesses and hospitalizations while improving public health. The district has strengthened the integration and sharing of medical resources and increased the capacity of community health institutions. Credit:Reporter Zhang Yu and Editor Li Jing, Shenzhen DailyEdited by HKU-SZH.2024
SZ, HK Hospitals Pair Up
THE University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH) and Hong Kong's Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) have agreed to pair up to strengthen their development.The opening ceremony of the cooperation project between HKU-SZH and QMH was held at the Shenzhen hospital in Futian District on Mar. 14, 2024.The opening ceremony of the cooperation project between QMH and HKU-SZH. (Photo by HKU-SZH)Both QMH and HKU-SZH are teaching hospitals of The University of Hong Kong. The event was the first joint activity after the two hospitals signed a three-year development and cooperation agreement Dec. 8, 2023. The management of the two entities carried out in-depth communication on aspects like talent, management, innovative science and technology, quality and safety, and academic exchanges.Dr. Theresa Li, Chief Executive of Hong Kong's Queen Mary Hospital, speaks at the ceremony. (Photo by HKU-SZH)The discussions also touched upon refining measures of detailed exchange and cooperation projects, jointly promoting the integration of quality resources, learning from each other, and enhancing the coordinated development of medical undertakings."HKU-SZH is an important platform for Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation and has maintained a solid partnership with QMH for many years," said Dr. Theresa Li, Cluster Chief Executive (Hong Kong West) and Hospital Chief Executive of Queen Mary Hospital and Tsan Yuk Hospital.Dr. Li stressed that the pair-up has opened a new chapter for cooperation between the two hospitals in jointly improving the level of medical services in Shenzhen and Hong Kong.Prof. Kenneth M.C. Cheung, HCE of HKU-SZH, makes a speech at the ceremony. (Photo by HKU-SZH)"With a history of 87 years, QMH has outstanding achievements in medicine, teaching, research, and management, which is worth learning from," Prof. Kenneth M.C. Cheung, Hospital Chief Executive of HKU-SZH, told reporters.So far, the two sides have determined a talent exchange plan and will send clinical, nursing, and management personnel, as well as medical technologists, for in-depth exchanges.Credit: Reporter Zhang Yu and Editor Shao Jingfeng, Shenzhen DailyEdited by HKU-SZH.2024
Charity Event Raises Awareness of Rare Diseases
A number of patients with rare diseases from the mainland and Hong Kong attended a charity event at The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH) on Mar. 26, two days ahead of Rare Disease Day. The event also marked the launch of an art exhibition featuring the work of rare disease patients.Rare Disease Day, observed annually on the last day of February, is the official awareness-raising campaign for rare diseases.The event was jointly organized by the hospital, multiple charitable foundations, and patient organizations, and it included interdisciplinary health consultation on rare diseases, science popularization, and the "Share Your Colors" art exhibition that will run for a week.HKU-SZH management and staff, rare disease patients, and charity group representatives pose for a group photo. (Photo by Chunfeng Chen)"It is aimed at raising public awareness and arousing more care from all sectors of society towards rare diseases and the problems faced by people with rare diseases," Prof. Michael To, director of the Orthopedic Center at HKU-SZH, told reporters.According to Prof. To, rare diseases are one of the biggest health challenges faced by humans, and approximately 80% of rare diseases are caused by genetic defects. At present, there are about 7,000 confirmed rare diseases worldwide that account for approximately 10% of total human diseases.HKU-SZH management, staff, and rare diseases charity group representatives launch the charity event. The event marks the launch of an art exhibition. (Photo by Jinghao Liu)As a key hospital in treating rare diseases in Shenzhen, HKU-SZH undertook the city's first key rare disease project in 2020, according to the hospital.It has also introduced four rare disease medicines and medical devices through the "Hong Kong and Macao Medicine and Equipment Connect" policy for patient treatment on the mainland.Earlier this year, the hospital joined forces with a multidisciplinary medical team for rare diseases, led by Professor Zhang Shuyang from Peking Union Medical College Hospital, to carry out cooperation in medicine, education, research, and prevention as well as to improve the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases.Credit: Reporter Zhang Yu and Editor Kang Wei, Shenzhen DailyEdited by HKU-SZH.2023
HKU-SZH Medical Camp Opens to GBA Students
A total of 50 high school students embarked on a journey of medical exploration as a medical camp organized by The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH) and the HKU Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine opened on July 31st.The launch ceremony of Greater Bay Area Medical Experience Camp 2023. (Photo by HKU-SZH)The students admitted to the camp are mainly from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), with some from foreign countries.Featuring a rich range of activities, the medical camp allows students to visit the Hospital's emergency and outpatient departments, operating rooms and various facilities. They can observe the use of medical equipment, communicate face to face with medical staff and patients, and visit HKU as well.Students learn how to put on and take off protective clothing and gloves. (Photo by HKU-SZH)The medical camp is held in two phases, recruiting excellent domestic and foreign high school students aged 16 and above. Each phase lasts for five days, with students joining Monday and leaving Friday. The first phase started on July 31st and will run until August 4, while the second phase will be from August 7 to 11.Mr. Li Chuang, Deputy Director of the Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission, said that he hopes young people from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao can work together to explore the medical world and contribute their intelligence to the Healthy China Initiative.“The HKSAR Government has been actively promoting medical exchanges and cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong at different levels. The GBA medical camp is precisely a good example,” Prof. Lo Chung-mau, Secretary for Health of HKSAR Government, said in an interview.Prof. Lo, former Hospital Chief Executive of HKU-SZH, added that the medical camp allows high school students to communicate with each other, get first-hand knowledge of the cooperation between medical staff in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and understand the country's medical development.“I'm looking forward to learning some medical and first-aid knowledge at the camp, and communicating with students from different educational backgrounds,” Hong Kong student Wang Ziqi, who will study biomedical science at the King's College London this September, said.HKU-SZH organized the first edition of the medical camp in the summer of 2019, which attracted 90 high school students from home and abroad, according to the Hospital.On the same day, the Hospital also held an event for the inauguration of its Clinical Skills Training and Conference Center in gratitude for the generous donation from Hong Kong philanthropist Lawrence Chan and his wife.The unveiling ceremony of Clinical Skills Training and Conference Center. (Photo by HKU-SZH)In 2019, Mr. Chan, on behalf of his late mother Mrs. Chan Wong Chi Lan, donated HK$16 million (US$2 million) to HKU-SZH in support of the Hospital's teaching and training work.Prof. Kenneth M.C. Cheung, HCE of HKU-SZH, and Mr. Xu Xiaoping, Secretary of Party Committee, presents a plaque of appreciation to Lawrence Chan and his wife Mrs. Lilian Chan. (Photo by HKU-SZH)Written by Zhang YuEdited by HKU-SZHSource: Shenzhen Daily.2023
Application Closed | HKU-SZH to Roll out Greater Bay Area Medical Experience Camp 2023
Registration for HKU-SZH's Greater Bay Area Medical Experience Camp 2023 has already begun in July. The first and second sessions are set to start on July 31 and August 7 respectively. For further details, please refer to the poster below..