Improving Women’s and Children’s Health in China

On our last day in Chengdu, we traveled to the newly constructed Chengdu Women and Children’s Medical Center. Formerly known as the Chengdu Children’s Hospital, Project HOPE has partnered with this medical facility for years through our Rural Training Program. The goal of the Program is to enhance the pediatric care in selected children’s hospitals in less developed regions of China by providing concentrated health professional training.

We met with the impressive Dr. Mao Ming, President of the Chengdu Women and Children’s Medical Center. See described the challenges of treating women and children in the same hospital facility, a new concept in China.

Dr. Mao also expressed hopes for a continued partnership with Project HOPE, before introducing, Richard Clark, our Board Chairman, and me to 12 of the 15 doctors and nurses, now working at the Medical Center, trained by the HOPE’s Rural Training Program.

Mr. Clark and I spoke with each of the Fellows, all of whom had received their training at the Shanghai Children’s Medical Center. All were grateful for the experience they received and said they returned to Chengdu not only to use their improved skills to treat patients, but also to share their new knowledge with other doctors and nurses at the Medical Center.

Many of the Fellows mentioned that they were hesitant to participate in the Program at first, because the commitment required them to leave Chengdu for a year of study and work in Shanghai. But every Fellow with whom we spoke said that their year-long experience at the Shanghai Children’s Medical Center prepared them for leadership roles in their respective departments at the Medical Center. They currently hold critical positions such as Director of Emergency Room and Head of Pediatrics. Each of them said they would recommend the Program to others.

Since the Program began in 2002, Project HOPE has graduated 248 fellows from 18 different provinces in China. Currently, 25 nurses and doctors are enrolled in the Program. We would like to do more.

Before we left the Medical Center, one of the members of our delegation, James Shen, Government Affairs Director for Convidien China, received words of appreciation from Dr. Mao. Convidien has supported Project HOPE’s Children’s Health and Safety Program to promote child safety in China through professional health education courses taught at the Shanghai Children’s Medical Center and soon to be taught at the Medical Center in Chengdu.

Tomorrow, we will be in Beijing for a review of HOPE’s diabetes prevention and education programs, just in time for World Diabetes Day.