XMCH Signs Cooperation Agreement with Dr. Soetomo Hospital in Surabaya, Indonesia

On August 7th, local time, a team led by Director Wang Yan from Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital Xiamen University (referred to as "XMCH") visited Surabaya, Indonesia, at the invitation of Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital (referred to as "Dr. Soetomo Hospital"). During the visit, they engaged in academic exchanges with local experts, signed a cooperation agreement, and guided local teams in conducting cardiovascular interventional procedures using domestically innovated medical devices.

Deepening International Medical Cooperation

During this visit, Director Wang Yan and Director Cita Rosita Sigit Prakoeswa signed a memorandum of understanding on behalf of both parties, focusing on deepening cooperation in clinical diagnosis and treatment, technological innovation, and talent development.

Indonesia is the largest and most populous country in Southeast Asia, but its medical resources are relatively scarce and unevenly distributed. It’s understood with a population of nearly 300 million, Indonesia has only about 1,500 cardiovascular doctors, two-thirds of whom are concentrated on the island of Java. Each year, the country produces only about 50 new cardiovascular specialists, leaving a gap of approximately 1,000 doctors. The country is made up of over 17,000 islands, more than half of which are water, further exacerbating the uneven distribution of medical resources.

Dr. Soetomo Hospital is one of the largest hospitals in Indonesia, with over 1,500 beds and 26 departments, serving nearly one million patients annually. The hospital has a Cardiovascular Center and a Chest Pain Center capable of conducting routine treatments such as angiography, coronary interventions, and cardiac ablations. However, it is still in the early stages of developing emerging and innovative technologies like transcatheter valve interventions.

In response to this situation, XMCH will provide medical assistance to Dr. Soetomo Hospital through academic exchanges, talent training, and surgical guidance, and will establish a long-term cooperation mechanism.

Exploring New Paths for International Medical Cooperation

XMCH is the only tertiary cardiovascular specialty hospital in Fujian Province, recognized as the National Regional Medical Center for Cardiovascular Disease and a sub-center of the National Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Disease. In June this year, XMCH established an International Medical Center, with a focus on its Phase II project, expecting to attract cardiovascular patients from Southeast Asia, including those referred from Dr. Soetomo Hospital, to Xiamen for high-quality medical services in the future.

In 2022, XMCH launched the "Heart Sapling Visiting Scholar Program," recruiting young cardiovascular specialists from "Belt and Road" countries to Xiamen for training. This program was officially announced by Global Development Promotion Center of CIDCA (China International Development Cooperation Agency) during a high-level thematic promotion event of the Global Development Initiative at the United Nations Headquarters in April 2023 and included in the Incubation Pool and the Achievement Pool of the Global Development Project Pool of CIDCA. To date, 13 scholars from 7 countries, including 3 from Indonesia, have been accepted into the program, with Dr. Suryo Ardi Hutomo from Dr. Soetomo Hospital currently undergoing training. Director Prakoeswa expressed gratitude to XMCH for its role in training outstanding cardiovascular specialists in Indonesia and hopes to continue sending more young doctors to Xiamen for training.

Performing Two First Cardiovascular Interventional Procedures in Indonesia

During the visit, Director Wang Yan led the team in collaboration with cardiovascular experts from Dr. Soetomo Hospital to perform a high-difficulty Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) using the Chinese-made VitaFlow Liberty® valve system. This was the first TAVR in Eastern Indonesia and the first implantation of a Chinese-made interventional valve device in Indonesia. The XMCH team also used the Chinese-made Sonico-CX® Intravascular Shockwave Therapy System to complete the first Percutaneous Coronary Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL) in Indonesia. The successful completion of these pioneering procedures highlighted the advanced skills of Chinese experts and the superior performance of Chinese-made devices, receiving unanimous praise from colleagues at Dr. Soetomo Hospital. This procedural guidance will significantly aid the initiation and development of TAVR and other innovative interventional treatments in Indonesia, benefiting a broader population of cardiovascular patients in the country.

Completed the first TAVR in Eastern Indonesia using the Chinese-made VitaFlow Liberty®

Completed the first IVL in Indonesia using the Chinese-made Sonico-CX® 

As one of China’s first interventional centers for valvular heart disease, XMCH regularly conducts various minimally invasive interventional procedures, ranking among the top in the country in terms of technical difficulty and procedural volume. The team led by Director Wang Yan has completed several first implantations of domestically produced valve interventional devices both nationwide and globally, continuously advancing in the field of valvular heart disease intervention from introducing new technologies to the new phase of independent domestic research and development.

Through this overseas visit, XMCH conducted academic exchanges with local hospitals, guided them in using domestically innovated medical devices to perform surgeries, and completed multiple first-time implantations of domestic devices in overseas or local settings. This promoted Chinese original medical technologies and domestically innovated medical devices, exported Chinese diagnostic and treatment protocols, and contributed the wisdom of Chinese doctors.