The UK-Shanghai Healthcare Innovation Symposium is held in Shanghai. [Photo/Shanghai Observer]

More than 150 participants from government, academia, and medical institutions convened at the UK-Shanghai Healthcare Innovation Symposium in Shanghai on March 24.

The event, jointly organized by the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission and the British Consulate-General in Shanghai, sought to strengthen collaboration in the healthcare industry between China and the United Kingdom.

Throughout the conference, leaders and industry experts from both sides delivered opening remarks, keynote speeches, and academic insights, fostering new ideas and approaches to effectively pool global medical innovation resources, adapt medical education to new trends, and facilitate the high-quality transformation of medical sci-tech achievements.

According to the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, Shanghai has achieved significant progress in technological, model, business, and management innovation within the healthcare sector. Notable milestones include the establishment of nine national medical centers and 55 regional medical treatment partnerships, the introduction of the world's first miRNA liver cancer diagnostic kit, and the clustering of over 1,000 renowned industry institutions in the Shanghai International Medical Zone.

Shanghai, with a population of 24.75 million, boasts over 6,500 medical and healthcare institutions, forming a robust three-tier medical and health service system, as outlined by the commission.

The symposium also featured onsite visits to key medical schools and hospitals in Shanghai by the UK delegation, aimed at exploring potential collaborations in academic education, continuing education, and clinical capacity-building.