Integration seen as key to better healthcare services, say experts

Health enterprises and research institutes should form an organic platform to provide better healthcare services, according to experts in a health industry forum during the 19th China International Fair for Investment and Trade on Friday.

Bao Yong, director of the Health Policy and Medical Management Research Center at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said that the development of China's healthcare sector would be strengthened if a comprehensive industrial platform was constructed to support it.

"The health industry won't develop if it simply focuses on selling more medicine. It needs a comprehensive platform that covers various aspects of human health," said Bao. "My research center is planning to integrate more than 6,000 health institutes and more than 900 researchers throughout China. With such a platform, we can mobilize significant resources to raise awareness about health and provide services before people get really sick."

Others have emphasized the importance of specific healthcare provision to improve people's health.

Jin Gang, chief executive officer of Shanghai-based CloudHealth Genomics Ltd, said gene testing should be made more accessible to ordinary people.

"Gene technologies are part of the customization of healthcare. As a result of gene testing, individual patients can receive treatment tailored to their conditions. In order to do this, we need patients' genetic information," said Jin.

In early 2015, CloudHealth Genomics introduced Illumina HiSeq X Ten, a whole gene sequencing platform, which is used for genetic testing, anti-aging and cancer diagnosis and treatment.

"After decades of research, gene technologies have gradually been applied to clinical practices. The Illumina HiSeq X Ten platform will make gene-related testing and subsequent treatments more accessible to ordinary people, which is in line with China's national strategy of widening its medical service coverage," said Jin.

Zhang Chaokai, secretariat of the Taiwan Cross-Straits Medical Interchange Association, said both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have abundant opportunities to develop and cooperate in the field of medical research.

"Taiwan's medical industry is strong in cardiovascular treatment, artificial insemination, joint replacement and micro-plastic surgery. The mainland learn from Taiwan's successes in these sectors," said Zhang.

The success rate of artificial insemination is 36.7 percent. Plastic surgery, which used to be a taboo subject, has become increasingly popular because of the development of micro-plastic surgery technologies that minimize trauma and speed up recovery times.

"Taiwan and the Chinese mainland should enhance communication and cooperation in the healthcare sector. The rising middle class on the mainland and the leading technologies in Taiwan are an ideal combination of market and service," said Zhang.

(China Daily 09/10/2016 page7)