Renji opens new center, merges south branch

The Renji Center of National Infrastructures for Translational Medicine under Shanghai Jiao Tong University was established at Renji Hospital’s south branch in Minhang District on Tuesday.

The center will focus on scientific research and clinical practice on the development and outcome of human diseases and conduct large-scale and international-standard translational medical research on normal and sick samples as well as clinical data through the hospital’s specialities.

Renji’s south branch was also announced to be combined into the hospital’s own management system. Under a local plan to meet medical demand of rural residents, the south branch was established and started operation in 2012, since when it was operated individually. Some services in the headquarters are not available in the new branch.

To further streamline the hospital’s operation and offer more high-end services to the patients, the city government decided to have the south branch combined with the headquarters’ management system.

Renji Hospital is the first Western medicine hospital in Shanghai. The combination of the south branch will offer more chances for it to achieve a better and more unified development, said Li Weiping, president of Renji Hospital.

“We will further boost a platform for basic and clinical research as well as medical translation to strengthen our specialities on tumor, major organ translation and intensive medicine as well as medical centers on urinary disease, immunity disease and digestive disease,” he said.