Shanghai Renji Hospital, the first Western medicine hospital established in Shanghai after the city's opening to foreign trade, celebrated the 180th anniversary of its founding on Monday.

The hospital, which is affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and possesses four campuses and a research center, said it has been sticking to high standards of keeping at the forefront of developing a top-tier medical center in Asia and has been deeply committed to the high-quality development of public hospitals in the country since its founding in 1844.

In the recently released 2023 Fudan Rankings of Chinese Hospitals, Renji Hospital was listed within the first echelon of hospitals nationwide, a testament to its excellence and reputation in the medical field.

During the anniversary celebration, Xia Qiang, president of the hospital, delivered a report on the 180-year development journey of Renji Hospital, highlighting the institution's achievements and innovations in medical education, research, healthcare services, talent cultivation, and Party building since its establishment.

The hospital has consistently focused on developing its core capabilities, with the numbers of its outpatient and emergency visits, as well as surgeries consistently ranked first in Shanghai for years. Notably, the hospital's digestive disease discipline has held the top spot nationally for five consecutive years, and the number of liver transplant surgeries at the hospital has maintained the national top for 13 years, with the number of pediatric liver transplant surgeries ranked first globally for 11 consecutive years.

Embracing digital transformation, Renji Hospital has implemented various initiatives, such as "convenient medical services," ensuring all aspects of healthcare are easily accessible to the public. The hospital was among the first in the city to enable online payment of medical expenses. Also, it has partnered with 51 nursing homes across nine districts to establish cloud consultation rooms, pioneering an innovative "Internet hospital + nursing home" model that covers over 19,000 beds.

"Looking ahead, Renji Hospital envisions achieving the highest international standards and benchmarks and aspires to become a leading innovative, research-oriented, intelligent, and international medical center with significant leadership and competitive capabilities in China. Renji Hospital aims to set the standard as one of the benchmark hospitals in a top-tier medical center city in Asia, continuing to safeguard the health and well-being of the people and contribute to advancements in the field of medicine," said Xia, who is also an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering.