CMF's medical programs are aimed at improving pediatric care in China through train the trainer methodology. Given the size of the country and the uneven of pediatric care we believe that training and capacity building will lead to better treatment for the children in China . Since 2000, we have undertaken the following programs:

Western Trainning Program: Robert Miller Fellowships

Inaugurated on 4 March, 2002 at SCMC under the generous sponsorship of Mr Robert Miller and the Search Group, this Program represents the second phase of SCMC and CMF's "train the trainer" program. Medical personnel from SCMC who have received overseas training will now train their colleagues from other provinces in China . Doctors and nurses are rigorously selected to be Robert Miller Fellows to receive one year's training in various pediatric subspecialties at SCMC. They come from the 12 western provinces in China and upon their return to their respective hospitals, they undertake to train three of their colleagues.

In the 2004 the program was extended to include the three northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang , Jilin and Liaoning . In the 5 years of training this program has trained 125 pediatricians and pediatric nurses directly and 375 of their colleagues indirectly. ( More details )

Neonatal Training

This program was initiated by CMF in partnership with the Shanghai Children's Medical Center in 2001 to establish 5 neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in selected towns in Zhejiang province in order to improve overall neonatal care. The sponsor is Sterling Foundation whose generous donations have enabled the training of neonatologists and the purchase of basic neonatal equipment.

Building on success at these new NICUs, 3 more were established in 2003-05 in Ningxia, Inner Mongolia and Sichuan provinces.  In 2006/07, 2 more NICUs were established in Zunyi, Guizhou and at Liuzhou People's Hospital in Guangxi.  All have shown marked reduction in pediatric/neonatal mortality which encourages the establishment of more NICUs.

In 2007/08, 3 NICUs are in the process of establishment in Shi He Zhi in Xinjiang, Heng Yang in Hunan and Tat Zhou in Sichuan. The Tat Zhou NICU sponsored by Richard Charles and Esther Yewpick Lee Charitable Foundation has just been completed in April 2008.

In 2008/09, more NICUs will be established and once there are 20 NICUs CMF will form a China Association of Neonatal Care which will be the official liaison with counter-parts outside of China and organize annual conferences to discuss neonatology, exchange information and share data.  ( More details )

HIV Peer Education

Initiated in early 2003 through a partnership between CMF and the Jiaotong Medical School (JMS), formerly the Shanghai Second Medical University this program aims to increase awareness of HIV infection among select high school students in Shanghai . Starting as a pilot program sponsored by the Sterling Foundation, the program trained 40 first year medical students in reproduction, HIV knowledge using materials developed by professors from JMS. These students became peer educators and conducted interactive classes in a number of selected high schools in Shanghai . The results were so encouraging that the Shanghai Education Commission encouraged and supported the extension of this program to another 40 schools.

As a result of the success, JMS with advice from CMF embarked on a similar program aimed at educating children of the floating population in Shanghai and a program to update HIV knowledge among health teachers in Shanghai . In January 2005, the Shanghai Education Commission established the Center for HIV Training at the JMS for the purpose of continuing the training of peer educators and the dissemination of HIV knowledge among the school age children of Shanghai .

In mid- 2005, we received a request from San Ming in Fujian province to provide an HIV Peer Education Program in their school system. With funds donated in Hong Kong to CMF, the program was extended to San Ming. In 2006/07 we will bring the program to Bei Hai in Guangxi province. ( More details )

Equipment Maintenance Donation

In response to a request from SCMC, CMF donated 1.5 million RMB for equipment maintenance at SCMC. It is hoped that this donation will help sustain the state-of-the-art medical equipment that is currently in use at SCMC.

Children's Mutual Assistance Program

In 2002 the Bank of America (Asia) Ltd donated funds through CMF to help 7000 poor children in Shanghai receive medical coverage. Through an insurance/mutual aid program organized by the Shanghai Red Cross, these children are able to receive medical treatment. CMF helped to organize a group of Shanghai ladies who volunteered to continue the program in 2003.

Indigent Children's Fund

This fund was initiated by CMF in November 2000 in response to the many requests from poor families in rural China with children who need medical care but cannot afford it. Many have congenital heart disease, which if treated early in life is curable. Every year at least 220,000 children are born with congenital heart disease; only a fraction can afford the needed surgery. With a little help we can change this situation.

The response from donors to the program has been outstanding and as a result, CMF has been able to help 157 children receive needed surgery. (see map and pictures). Of these 6 have been adopted to families living overseas and in China after surgery.

To raise funds specifically for this program, CMF embarked on the Christmas Box Campaign in 2004. Donation boxes were placed around Shanghai during Christmas and around Hong Kong to raise money to help indigent children. We wish to thank the following companies for participating in this project: China Loop, FCB, GE Lighting, Invensys, Xiehe Bilingual school, MA Design. MC Cann Ericsson, OOCL, Philips Lighting, Suzhou Cobblers, TBWA, Valley Gourmet and Webershandwick, Igor's, Philips, AIG, CITIC-Capital, Crown, J&J, Jebsen. We also wish to thank UPS and AIG for their very generous donations in 2005 and 2006.

Minimally Invasive Surgery Center at SCMC

Minimally Invasive Surgery through laparoscope is a new advance in modern surgical techniques. Its application for children is an important feature of this technique because there is minimal injury, less postoperative pain, faster recovery and minimal scarring. It is welcomed by children and their parents.

Shanghai Children's Medical Center (SCMC) is China's foremost pediatric facility for children with life threatening diseases such as congenital heart disease, prematurity, orthopedic diseases, oncology and hematology.  Minimally Invasive Surgery is one such sub-specialty which has been pioneered by SCMC as early as 2000.

Over the years, the development of laparoscopic surgery at SCMC has been steady and yielded encouraging results. Given the successful beginning and rapid development of minimally invasive surgery at SCMC, the increasing number of surgeries in various pediatric sub-specialties and increasing demand for training from various parts of China, it has become necessary to have a specialized operating room. With the donation of Simatelex Charitable Foundation through CMF in 2007, a specialized theater for pediatric laparoscopic surgery was established named as "Simatelex Charitable Foundation Pediatric Minimally Invasive Surgery Center".

TOP

Simatelex Charitable Foundation Pediatric Minimally Invasive Surgery Center