A Sino-Germany medical appliance company that is doing research and development on artificial hearts signed contract to set up an office in a Shanghai local medical industry base yesterday, in order to domestically manufacture the advanced medical equipment at a price that Chinese can afford.
In addition to Cardiotech Artificial Heart Co, nine other medical equipment manufacturers have agreed to enter the Shanghai Nanhui Medical Equipment Industry Base.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University's school of medicine will also establish a medical technology college at the base, to teach nursing professionals and medical technicians.
The industry base, the first of its kind in the nation, was approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology in September, to streamline the research, development and manufacturing of medical appliances, especially those patented by Chinese companies.
"More than 10 million Chinese suffer from heart failure annually, and 2 million to 3 million die of the disease," said Dr Liu Zhongmin, president of Shanghai East Hospital. "Due to high cost of heart transplants and organ shortages, only 50 patients can undergo the surgery every year. So artificial hearts are an effective method to save such people."
Liu said a heart transplant costs 200,000 yuan (US$24,691) to 300,000 yuan and patient should take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of their lives. Artificial hearts don't require such medication.
Currently, no Chinese facility produces artificial hearts, and imported hearts cost 1 million yuan to 1.5 million yuan a piece.
"If manufactured locally, the price can drop to about 150,000 yuan," said Weng Yuguo with Cardiotech Artificial Heart Co.
Weng said the company expects to attract 100 million yuan in investment from overseas and Chinese companies, as well as the central government. The investment will mainly be used for animal testing, clinical tests and further industrialization.
Shen Xiaoming, vice president of Jiao Tong University and director of its medical school, said the school will build a nursing department, an international nursing department and a medical technician department in the industry base.
(Shanghai Daily December 15, 2005)
