GE Healthcare to train 12,000 doctors in counties, rural areas

General Electric Healthcare Co, a major US supplier in the high-end medical devices market, said it plans to help provide training to about 12,000 doctors who work for primary hospitals in counties and rural areas in China to further raise their medical capabilities.

GE Healthcare, a subsidiary of US conglomerate General Electric, said with the health channel of People.com, it will provide a group of services in more than 10 provinces nationwide for the next year, beginning this month.

The multinational healthcare provider said it will work with various organizations in China to launch more than 100 online and offline doctor training sessions, and training in professional skills and equipment use that will cover various disciplines, such as radiology, anesthesia, ultrasound and cardiovascular intervention.

"In the past decade, GE has been constantly learning about the demand of primary hospitals in China and has been seeking different solutions to help them raise medical capabilities," said Zhang Yihao, president and chief operating officer of GE Healthcare China.

"We would like to utilize our resources in digital technologies and smart equipment, and provide more high-quality resources and services to primary hospitals across the country," he said.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), China will increasingly become an aging society. Currently, Chinese people aged 60 and above number 264.02 million, or 18.7 percent of the total population, up 5.44 percentage points from the level seen in 2010, according to China's latest national census.

Primary hospitals are shouldering more important responsibilities to provide medical services to local elderly patients.

"Primary hospitals generally lack anesthesiologists and haven't attracted enough young talents. With the launch of more supportive policies and public welfare projects, the doctor shortage is expected to be improved," said Miao Changhong, a professor at Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University.

Besides doctor training, GE Healthcare will cooperate with other medical institutions and provide complimentary screenings of electrocardiograms and for breast and lung cancer for high-risk groups who live in remote areas.

So far, GE Healthcare has developed and launched more than 90 products in China, and 70 percent of the products can meet the demand of China's primary hospitals, the company said.

Next, GE Healthcare will continue to develop high-end technologies and aim for local innovation and production. It will integrate intelligent technologies with medical applications and further help primary hospitals in China improve their skills.