Shanghai Daily news

Officials at Pudong New Area said a new hospital with 500 beds would be constructed this year to serve visitors at Expo 2010.

The Pudong Hospital, a district-based comprehensive facility, is expected to be finished in early 2010.

It will have departments specializing in services for expatriate patients.

"Pudong is a district with unbalanced health resource," said Zhang Endi, vice governor of Pudong New Area. "As a district with a population of more than three million, we only have four city-based comprehensive hospitals with six district-level comprehensive medical facilities.

"To offer people good and convenient medical care, we are perfecting the network of neighborhood health service, enhancing cooperation between higher level hospitals and the neighborhood health centers and introducing more city-based and joint venture hospitals."

As well as building more hospitals, Pudong has launched a health education and disease prevention campaign.

The city's first government-sponsored regular health education course started in Pudong this week with doctors from Shanghai East Hospital and other specialists giving lectures.

A Website (smilecture.com) broadcasts the lecture promoting health education and provides a communication channel between the public and medical experts.

The Website is currently in Chinese but it will provide an English version soon, officials said.

"It is a very good opportunity for the public to learn about medical matters and consult medical experts, who are difficult to contact in ordinary out-patient services," said Chen Yaozhong, a 62-year-man with heart disease. "I only can talk with a doctor for several minutes during an out-patient service. It is impossible for me to consult detailed health care knowledge."

Hospital officials said the lecture and Website were good platforms provided by the government to promote health information and enhance the relationship between patients and medical facilities.

"In addition to lectures, we will also arrange for doctors to give free consultation and diagnosis after every course," said Liu Zhongmin, president of Shanghai East Hospital.