[CHONGQING, CHINA] Raffles Medical Group has inked a strategic cooperation agreement with a hospital in Chongqing, China, to deepen medical partnerships between the two.
In a press statement on Tuesday (Jun 10), Raffles Medical said that the aim is to combine international expertise with local strengths and enhance the overall medical service capabilities of Chongqing.
The group said it will work with the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Municipality at the institutional, hospital and disciplinary levels.
Under the partnership, a new healthcare collaboration ecosystem focused on value co-creation and complementary strengths will be established. For instance, the two parties will engage in reciprocal visits and exchanges for medical, nursing, technical, pharmaceutical and administrative personnel.
They will also explore new models of cooperation such as dual-appointment talent systems, artificial intelligence applications, and alignment with international medical standards.
“These initiatives will inject quality-driven productivity into the sustainable development of both institutions and regional healthcare,” said the group.
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Additionally, a new medical consortium will be introduced to facilitate the flow of medical resources. It will involve multidisciplinary collaboration, talent exchange and training, equipment sharing, and two-year referral mechanisms between the two.
Top expert teams from both hospitals will also convene for academic exchanges and consultations of complex cases, among others, to advance disciplinary development, said Raffles Medical.
“Chongqing Model”
The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Municipality is a top-tier tertiary Class-A teaching hospital in China, it added.
Raffles Medical’s partnership with the hospital will offer a “Chongqing Model” for international medical cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, noted Dr Loo Choon Yong, the group’s executive chairman. The initiative – previously known as China’s One Belt, One Road – is the East Asian giant’s global economic plan to create regional connectivity through infrastructure development and promote world trade and economic growth.
This will further consolidate Chongqing’s status as an international medical hub city, said Dr Loo.
Shares of Raffles Medical closed at S$0.975 on Tuesday, down 1 per cent or S$0.01, before the announcement.
