Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital sign MOU on healthy aging

Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) and Singapore's Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) signed a memorandum of understanding in Beijing on Aug 21 to deepen cooperation in elderly care and explore new approaches to healthy aging. The two hospitals also jointly held a symposium on caring for older adults in an aging society.

The partnership will cover geriatric medicine, palliative care, rehabilitation services and clinical ethics, with a focus on integrated care, medical education, workforce development and joint research.

Zhang Shuyang, president of PUMCH, and Tang Kong-choong, chief executive officer of TTSH, signed the agreement on behalf of the two hospitals. Du Bin, vice-president of PUMCH, David Liang, deputy chief of mission and minister-counsellor at the Singapore embassy in China, and Mervyn Koh, chairman of TTSH's Division of Integrative and Community Care, attended the event.

Zhang said that despite the geographical distance between the two hospitals, they share a commitment to patient-centered care, academic-led advancement and innovation-driven development. Their partnership brings together mature experience to meet emerging needs, while creating a dialogue between established systems and locally adapted approaches. She said the two sides would deepen cooperation in geriatric medicine, palliative care and rehabilitation services, explore clinical practices suited to their respective national contexts and help older adults enjoy later life with greater quality and dignity.

Tang congratulated PUMCH on its 105th anniversary. He said the two hospitals were founded in different eras but share a common purpose. As people live longer and healthcare needs become increasingly complex, the two institutions will combine their complementary strengths, learn from each other and innovate together. Their cooperation will help develop more compassionate models of care and strengthen the long-term resilience and sustainability of both countries' healthcare systems.

Liang said the partnership would bring together the two hospitals' complementary strengths in eldercare and integrated healthcare services. It represents not only deeper institutional cooperation in healthcare, but also presents a vivid example of people-to-people exchanges between China and Singapore. He said the collaboration would benefit people in both countries and further strengthen bilateral ties.

A symposium on caring for older adults in an aging society was also held on the day of the signing. Du and Tang delivered respective keynote speeches on PUMCH's development of an age-friendly hospital and Singapore's experience in eldercare. Experts from the two hospitals exchanged views on restructuring geriatric care systems, ensuring continuity of care from hospital to home, clinical research on sarcopenia and the development of palliative medicine.

Looking ahead, the two sides will continue to deepen their cooperation in geriatric medicine, palliative care and rehabilitation services. They will explore care models and practice guidelines adapted to their respective national contexts, with the aim of helping older adults enjoy later life with greater quality and dignity, and contributing to a global community of health for all.

Representatives from the Singapore embassy in China and Enterprise Singapore, as well as heads of relevant departments from both hospitals, attended the event.