Construction of the mainland's largest comprehensive medical park is on track in Shanghai's southeastern Nanhui District, according to the local planning authority.
The Shanghai International Medical Zone, to cover 5 square kilometers, will allow for medical treatment, research and development (R&D), education, training and medical equipment manufacturing, according to the Shanghai Development Planning Commission.
The new zone, approved by the Ministry of Health late last year, will be completed by 2015 and help Shanghai become a leading medical center in Asia, complementing its pharmaceutical industry base, said Li Wei, an official with the social development division at the commission.
Shanghai has a State-level pharmaceutical industry base in Zhangjiang High-Tech Park in the Pudong New Area, featuring Chinese herbal and biological medical studies and manufacturing.
The 10-year-old park, adjacent to the medical zone, has hosted more than 130 pharmaceutical projects with annual output of more than 25 billion yuan (US$3 billion), according to the district government.
The Shanghai International Medical Zone Preparation Team, under the local planning authority, says medical projects within the zone, mainly the construction of hospitals, are now open for public bidding internationally.
Zhu Yi, an official with the team, said the first stage of the medical zone will mainly be the introduction of international hospitals, in the form of joint ventures, to provide high-quality medical treatment and rehabilitation services.
The first batch of hospitals, medical enterprises and schools is expected to enter the medical zone in 2005 when infrastructure facilities are basically completed, according to Zhu.
Further construction will continue until 2015 and help the zone become an advanced international medical treatment and R&D center in Asia, Zhu said.
According to official plans, the medical zone will set up six themed sub-zones in 2015 -- an international medical treatment area, international medical rehabilitation center, international medical studies exchange center, medical education and training zone, clinical studies area and a medical R&D and manufacturing zone.
The park will also take advantage of the established pharmaceutical base to introduce cutting-edge medical projects and carry out clinical studies, Zhu said.
(China Daily February 24, 2003)
