Xinjiang a front-runner in BRI medical cooperation

The Belt and Road Initiative has significantly improved infrastructure connectivity, promoted win-win cooperation and yielded mutual benefit for Belt and Road countries. Being closely related to people's livelihoods and well-being, the healthcare sector has made remarkable achievements under the Belt and Road framework.

As an advocate and promoter of the Belt and Road Initiative, China continues to explore ways to channel its high-quality medical resources to its western regions, enabling people in neighboring countries, particularly those in Central Asia, to share the fruits of the country's development and jointly build a global health community.

The international medical service center in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, which forms the core of the Silk Road Economic Belt, holds extraordinary significance and is advancing the profound mission of promoting better healthcare in neighboring regions. Xinjiang also plays a pivotal role in enhancing the influence of China-Central Asia cooperation.

The Chinese government emphasizes the importance of strengthening healthcare cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road, making quality medical services easily accessible to people in those countries and promoting global health development.

The Xinjiang Medical University has been playing a pioneering role in this endeavor. Adhering to national policies and Xinjiang's strategic goals, the university has been organizing extensive exchanges with health departments, medical institutions and universities across Central Asia. In fact, it has signed a series of cooperation agreements to outline the collaborative goals of medical talent training, research and innovation, and the sharing of medical services.

The university has established a regular exchange and cooperation mechanism with Samarkand State Medical University in Uzbekistan, jointly undertaking medical research projects which have injected new vitality into medical education and research in both institutions.

Moreover, the affiliated hospitals of the Xinjiang Medical University, using advanced medical expertise and equipment, provide high-quality diagnostic and medical treatment for patients from Central Asia. For instance, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University has treated a significant number of patients with complex and rare diseases from various Central Asian countries in recent years. The hospital has also jointly established an international telemedicine consultation center and a telemedicine platform with hospitals in several Central Asian countries, enabling patients there to avail of high-quality diagnosis and medical treatment services provided by Chinese specialists.

Also, the hospitals affiliated with the university have established one-to-one or many-to-one counterpart cooperation mechanisms with Central Asian countries for telemedicine consultation for serious cases, further promoting the construction of cross-border medical platforms and an international medical service center in the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt.

The Xinjiang Medical University has closely collaborated with research institutions across Central Asia, focusing on joint research on high-incidence of and difficult-to-treat diseases. For example, the university has partnered with research teams in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and other countries to conduct clinical research on drug-resistant tuberculosis. These efforts have led to the development of new diagnostic reagents and therapeutic drugs, significantly raising the cure rate for tuberculosis. The university is committed to launching global research initiatives with Belt and Road nations, sharing resources with them and helping enhance their innovative capabilities.

Since talented scientists and doctors drive the medical industry's development, the Xinjiang Medical University has established bilingual courses for students from Central Asian countries. A large number of medical professionals from these countries have benefited from the course.

The university has also forged partnerships with about 20 universities and research institutions in Central Asia for academic exchanges and resource sharing, and hosted more than 360 medical experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan as part of short-term exchanges and long-term studies at the university and its affiliated hospitals. And from 2023 to 2024, the Xinjiang Medical University dispatched 185 top medical specialists to the five Central Asian countries to provide diagnosis and medical services for complex and critical diseases in local hospitals and communities, conduct health education programs and disseminate medical knowledge to help elevate local medical standards.

Xinjiang boasts of unique natural landscapes and an advanced medical sector, creating opportunities for cross-border medical tourism cooperation. The Xinjiang regional government departments can collaborate with the tourism authorities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian countries to devise tours that integrate medical services. This innovative cooperation model will not only address the health and wellness needs of people in Central Asia but also boost Xinjiang's tourism economy.

The Xinjiang Medical University will continue to boost its comprehensive capabilities by deepening cross-border cooperation, advancing scientific research, optimizing its talent training program and providing even better medical services for Belt and Road countries and regions.

The author is president of the Xinjiang Medical University and a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress. The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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