Shanghai Chest Hospital to Open Pudong Branch in October

The Tangzhen branch of Shanghai Chest Hospital in Pudong New Area is expected to open in October. The new branch will prioritize international medical services due to its close proximity to Pudong International Airport and the upcoming Shanghai East Railway Station.

"All key departments, including pulmonary oncology, mediastinal diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and cardiac surgery, will be fully operational at the new branch upon opening," said Dr Li Chaohong, a hospital official.

"International medical services, including outpatient care, inpatient treatment, and related support, will be provided at the new facility, as our current campus in downtown Xuhui District has limited space. International patients can expect a seamless medical experience shortly after landing at the airport."

"We currently serve many expatriate patients from Southeast Asia. They will benefit from an improved and more efficient medical journey at the new branch, which offers more spacious facilities and dedicated areas for the international medical department," she added.

Li stated that the new branch will initially open one-third of its 600 beds in the first phase.

In addition to expatriate patients, the hospital will take in Chinese patients from remote areas.

A recent case involved a 61‑year‑old patient with severe heart disease who traveled to Shanghai Chest Hospital from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The patient visited Dr Zhu Jiaquan from the department of cardiac surgery on February 26 and was admitted immediately due to his critical condition.

Further examinations confirmed severe aortic disease and heart failure.

"This was a high‑risk, high‑level procedure requiring replacement of the entire aorta and related structures. So we arranged a very detailed surgery plan and emergency preplans," Zhu said.

During the 6‑hour surgery, Zhu's team successfully performed a biological valve replacement, artificial blood vessel implantation, and coronary artery transplantation.

The patient made a remarkable recovery and was discharged on Wednesday.

Zhu noted that the hospital has a long-standing tradition of sending medical teams to support remote areas, including Xinjiang. Beyond treating local patients, these teams also conduct health education and train local physicians.

"I worked in Kashgar, Xinjiang, for one and a half years. The incidence of heart disease there is significantly higher than in Shanghai, and local patients have relatively low health awareness," Zhu said. "Access to treatment is also very inconvenient, as Kashgar patients usually have to travel 1,500 kilometers to Urumqi – a long journey that can endanger critically ill patients."

"During my time in Xinjiang, I performed more than 330 complex cardiac surgeries and trained several local doctors," he continued. "For this patient, after returning to Xinjiang, he will be able to receive proper postoperative follow‑up and ongoing management from the local doctors I trained."