China's first stem cell hospital opens in Boao

China Stem Cell Group Co Ltd, a Shanghai-based company, announced the opening of its affiliated stem cell hospital in Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in Hainan on Saturday.

The hospital, the only one in the sector in China and equipped with a hundred 100 pre-clean laminar air flow rooms for patients, will be able to handle 1,000 blood stem cell transplantations annually, said Ruan Changgeng, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the Blood Research Institute of Jiangsu Province, who has been appointed as the honorary head of the hospital, together with another three academicians as chief scientists.

Ruan said the hospital will help effectively reduce the shortage of transplantation resources in the country.

Lu Wei, vice-president of China Stem Cell Group, said the hospital will focus on blood stem cell transplants while also engaging itself in developing a top-level platform for the country's stem cell industry, which will combine disease prevention, medical treatment, research on clinical applications of stem cell technology, education, and rehabilitation.

"So far the company has helped with 3,500 umbilical cord blood transplants, the largest number in the country. About 58.9 percent of the patients who have received the transplants are still alive after five years, which is at an advanced international level for the time being," Lu added.

Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, the only one of its kind in China, enjoys nine preferential policies granted by the State Council ever since 2013, such as carrying out stem cell clinical applications without central government permission.

"The policies enable the hospital to conduct pilot applications in the sector," said Lu, adding that Hainan's new talent introduction policy is also attracting more medical professionals to come to the island province.

"A total of 27 medical projects have been completed or are under construction in the pilot zone, and another 38 projects have passed medical technology appraisals, and in total the administration office has talked with developers of 101 high-end medical and healthcare projects," He Pengfei, deputy director of the zone's administration office, said Saturday.

He added that eight of them have opened medical services to the public so far.

All projects in the pilot zone are expected to be completed in about five years. By then, the zone is estimated to receive 5 million tourists a year.