The healing touch

The long-term goal is to build a national regional medical center in the plateau to curb the high mortality rate among pregnant women, newborn babies and children under the age of 5.

"We have a deep understanding of the health issues plaguing women and children in Tibet because we have received many patients from the region over the years. We have also screened many for congenital heart disease and offered remote consultation. But these steps weren't enough," Liu says.

So, when the Tibetan authorities decided to build the first regional hospital for women and children in Lhasa in 2019, the Chengdu hospital went on board to offer "unprecedented bilateral cooperation".

Both sides agreed that advanced medical technology and management skills were required to efficiently run the new hospital, and it was decided that the Chengdu hospital would send a team of professionals to Lhasa.

"Sharing the dedicated work culture of the West China Second University Hospital ensured homogenous management of the new hospital and proper training of local medical staff," Liu says.

The Chengdu hospital has sent more than 70 doctors and medical workers to Tibet. Long-term assistance can last for three years while short-term aid ranges from one to three months.

Liu says short-term aid is based on the hospital's immediate needs, which are usually nonmedical in nature. For example, logistics and purchase teams were sent to Tibet to streamline the respective networks.

The ultimate goal of long-term assistance, on the other hand, is to develop a system of women and child medicine development across the autonomous region. "We hope that one day the Lhasa hospital acts as the core of maternal and child health programs throughout Tibet," Liu says.

As a baby step, teams from the Chengdu hospital have started visiting various districts and counties in Tibet to offer medical consultation and guide research. "We are fully committed to the cause. The West China Second University Hospital will continue to aid the development of medical infrastructure and management in Tibet," Liu adds.