Along with the Third China-CEEC Health Ministers’s Forum, the meeting of the China-CEEC Hospital Cooperation Alliance was organised. The progrmme of the event held in Semmelweis Salon included lectures and a round table discussion where the subsequent phases of the cooperation were drawn up by the Chinese and European members of the Alliance.

In his opening speech Dr. Béla Merkely, Vice-Rector for Clinical Affairs and the European president of the Alliance expressed his pleasure in receiving the prestigious Chinese delegation and thanked the Slovenian and Czech partners for their attendance.

“Hungary’s Eastern Opening Strategy has already had its effects on the economic relations of the two countries, as well as in the fields of tourism and culture. We aim to achieve the same in the field of health care between hospitals and medical universities.”, Dr. Béla Merkely said.

Dr. Zhao Yupei, Chinese president of the Alliance gave a short account of the history of the Alliance, which has 103 members today.

“Dr. Béla Merkely and his colleagues have recently visited China in order to further strengthen the collaboration. Currently the Alliance are conducting clinical and scientific cooperative projects and in the future we are launching collaborative programmes in the field of cardiology, oncology, neurology and neurosurgery, paediatrics, hepatobiliary surgery and rehabilitation.”, Dr. Zhao Yupei said.

Following the opening speeches Dr. Zeng Zhiyu, President of the first hospital of Guangxi Medical University and Dr. Béla Merkely held a presentation on the possibility of joint research in the field of cardiology. The lecture of Dr. Zoltán Nagy, Director of the National Institute of Clinical Neurosciences on neurology was followed by the presentation of Dr. Zlata Štiblar Kisić, Director of the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana and member of the Alliance’s Executive Board. The topic of paediatrics was covered by Dr. György Velkey, Director of Bethesda Children’s Hospital, and was followed by two presentations on hepatobiliary pancreas by Dr. Zheng Min, Vice-President of the first hospital of Zhejiang Medical University and Dr. Attila Bursics, chief physician at the Uzsoki Hospital. The last presentation by Robert Cugelj, Director of the University Rehabilitation Institute, Republic of Slovenia gave an overview of the topic of rehabilitation.

The lectures clearly demonstrated that the parties are open to collaboration with Chinese partners especially in the field of joint research, technology exchange, postgraduate specialist training courses, the creation of mutual databases and the organisation of scientific events.

During the round table discussion Dr. Béla Merkely highlighted the main objectives of the cooperation, which are the following: the use of a common web platform in order to promote communication, the creation of a financial fund and the elaboration of the practical realisation of the programmes. The most effective solution in case of the realisation of the programmes would be to handle the various areas of expertise all together. Moreover, the members would involve the ministries in order to strengthen the collaboration and suggested the identification of similar Chinese and European projects, and the exchange of young physicians.

Source: Tünde Czétényi, Cabinet of the Clinical Centre
Judit Vadlövő, Directorate of International Relations
Photos: Gábor Ancsin
Translation: Ágnes Raubinek