First China Medical Protection and Health Summit Held in Shanghai to Advance Healthy China Strategy

On April 11, 2018, the inaugural China Medical Protection and Health Summit was grandly held in Shanghai. The forum was hosted by Health News, co-hosted by the Hospital Infection Control Branch of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association and Sinopharm Reeds Exhibitions, with DXY as a supporting organizer and Blue Sail Medical as a joint supporting organizer.

Centered on the core philosophy of “Professional Protection, Healthy China,” the conference invited government officials, healthcare industry leaders, and media representatives to engage in in-depth brainstorming on numerous topics, including policies for the medical protection industry, clinical experience, and management practices, while sharing their insights and expertise. Meanwhile, Blue Sail Medical officially released the White Paper on Medical Protection and unveiled its upgraded brand strategy.

The forum commenced with an opening address by Jin Yonghong, Director of the Operation and Development Center at Health News. Director Jin recalled that during the revolutionary war era when Health News was first established, infectious diseases posed a severe challenge to the combat effectiveness of the Red Army. China’s healthcare sector has made remarkable progress from its humble beginnings of having virtually no resources. This advancement is not only closely linked to improvements in medical standards but also relies on the continuous progress in medical protection and infection control.

During the keynote session of the first half of the forum, Professor Shen Jin, Deputy Secretary-General of the Disinfection Branch of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, delivered a report titled “Research Report on the Current Status of Disinfection and Infection Control Abroad.” Professor Shen shared valuable international insights for reference, focusing on four key areas: characteristics of foreign disinfection and infection control institutions, guideline systems, management methods for disinfection products, and current research hotspots.

Professor Zhang Qun, Director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, then took the stage to share “Latest Advances in Multidimensional Hand Hygiene” from the perspective of professional protection, and introduced Changzheng Hospital’s numerous practices in strengthening hand hygiene. In his report, Professor Zhang particularly emphasized that, with regard to hospital infection control, hand hygiene is the most fundamental, important, cost-effective, and effective measure, serving as the cornerstone of all infection prevention and control initiatives.

The second half of the forum opened with an address by Professor Hu Bijie, Chairman of the Hospital Infection Control Branch of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association. Having long worked on the front lines of hospital infection management, Professor Hu believes that China’s awareness and capabilities in infection prevention and control have not kept pace with its rising status as a major global power. He expressed hope that the in-depth exchanges and discussions at this forum would help chart a new course for medical protection and infection control in China.

Subsequently, in the presence of numerous attendees, the forum reached its highlight moment: Professor Zhang Qun, Liu Dongchen, Editor-in-Chief of DXY (Dingxiangyuan), and Ms. Liu Wenjing, Chairwoman of Blue Sail Medical, jointly announced the official release of the White Paper on Medical Protection.

This white paper was jointly compiled by Blue Sail Medical, DXY, and the Zhejiang Institute of Digital Medical and Health Technology over a period of more than four months. The white paper consolidates extensive desk research, incorporates insights and recommendations from numerous experts, and synthesizes survey results from over 1,600 healthcare professionals. It aims to popularize the importance of medical protection and related knowledge among the public, provide organic recommendations for industry development models, address the societal issue of inadequate medical protection, enhance societal awareness and emphasis on medical protection, thereby strengthening the protective capabilities of institutions and individuals in medical settings, safeguarding the safety of both patients and healthcare providers, and contributing to the realization of "Healthy China 2030."

The theme report of the afternoon session can be summarized in one keyword: “Infection Control.” Liu Dongchen, Editor-in-Chief of DXY, presented “How to Leverage the Internet for Infection Control Education” from the perspective of a medical internet professional. Meanwhile, Dr. Feng Zhixian, Vice President of Shulan Hospital and Head of the Nursing Department, shared frontline practices on “All-Staff Education Models and Infection Control.”

If the keynote addresses at the forum are likened to a series of gourmet feasts, then the ensuing roundtable discussion can be described as a yin-yang hot pot, blending the pungent spice of harrowing case studies with the ambitious resolve to work in unison toward advancing China’s medical protection industry.

This session was moderated by President Feng Zhixian, with the participation of Director Jin Yonghong, Editor-in-Chief Liu Dongchen from DXY, and Chairman Liu Wenjing from Blue Sail Medical. An interactive segment with the live audience was also included.

Due to space constraints, it is not possible to fully reproduce the insightful discussions from the roundtable here; we have selected a few key points from the participants for our readers’ benefit.

Jin Yonghong: Health News has always been committed to delivering warm, empathetic journalism and is dedicated to mobilizing resources to improve medical protection and infection control through systemic and institutional reforms.

Liu Dongchen: New media offers greater reach, and many hospitals are attempting to leverage this channel to communicate with patients. When establishing their own WeChat official accounts, hospitals should clearly target their patient base while placing particular emphasis on highlighting the institution’s unique characteristics.

Liu Wenjing: There are systemic gaps in China’s medical protection sector. According to WHO data, 22% of hospital deaths are directly caused by infections. A study conducted in China in 2000 showed that each infection incurs additional costs ranging from RMB 2,400 to RMB 14,000, as it extends hospital stays by an average of 8.2 days overall—9.2 days for general surgery, 3 days for obstetrics, and 19 days for plastic surgery. In response, Blue Sail Medical aims to drive technological advancement in the industry by strengthening product research and development and launching products and services that better meet the protective needs of healthcare professionals and various vertical sectors.

Feng Zhixian: Overall, investment in medical protection and healthcare-associated infection control by medical institutions in China is insufficient. This is partly related to the awareness of hospital leaders, but more importantly, it stems from institutional and systemic factors.

At the conclusion of the forum, Blue Sail Medical, the co-organizer of the conference, announced its corporate brand upgrade plan to the public. In 2018, Blue Sail Medical will enter its fourth five-year strategic period. After more than a decade of arduous development, the company has become the world’s leading manufacturer of PVC gloves, holding a 22% share of the global market, with products distributed in over 100 countries and regions. It has also become the first A-share listed company in the field of medical protection.

Chairman Liu Wenjing stated that, in the future, driven by its dual-engine development strategy of “Protection” + “Medical Care,” Blue Sail Medical will continuously advance toward becoming an innovation-driven Blue Sail, a health-ecosystem-oriented Blue Sail, a talent-centric Blue Sail, and a globally oriented Blue Sail.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” The development of China’s medical protection industry is a long and arduous endeavor. The successful convening of the inaugural China Medical Protection and Health Summit Forum may represent but one step on this thousand-mile journey; yet, with this solid first step taken, the destination is no longer distant.