The opening ceremony of the new hospitalareaof ZCMU Pingyang Hospital of Chinese Medicineand Pingyang Research Institute, a cooperation project, was held in Pingyang County on the morning of March 17, marking ZCMU’s first officially registered cooperative hospital. Cao Qifeng, Deputy Director of the Health Commission of  Zhejiang Province and Deputy Director of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine ; Chen Zhong, President of ZCMU; and Zhang Shouyu, Secretary of Pingyang County Party Committee, attended.

Chen Zhong stated that the cooperation between ZCMU and Pingyang County, which has a solid foundation, is promising. Since signing the strategic cooperation agreement in September 2022, the two sides have carried out multiform cooperation in health, science and technology innovation, talent training and cultural communication, etc. The inauguration of the new hospital area and the cooperation projects such as ZCMU Pingyang Research Institute marked a new starting point for all-around and in-depth cooperation between ZCMU and Pingyang County. Chen Zhong hoped that through the joint efforts of both sides, developing ZCMU Pingyang Hospital of Chinese Medicine, the most extensive TCM rehabilitation and treatment center integrating medicine, education, and research in southern Zhejiang. Besides, relying on Pingyang Research Institute, etc., two sides explore the path and mode of TCM to help the mountainous counties develop and strive to create a model of university-local cooperation that plays a leading role in southern Zhejiang and influences the whole province, thus making positive contributions to developingZhejiang.

Zhang Shouyu pointed out that medical care is the most crucial concern for people’s livelihood. The opening of the new hospital area of ZCMU Pingyang Hospital of Chinese Medicine will bring new vitality to the development of Pingyang’s medical and healthcare industry and provide stronger momentum for the high-quality development of its Chinese medicine industry. Pingyang County will continue to deepen its cooperation with ZCMU and strive to provide high-quality health services featuring “Chinese medicine and the combination of Chinese and Western medicine” with the first-class environment, equipment, and technology, bringing more benefits to the people in Pingyang.

During the ceremony, ZCMU and Pingyang County Government signed a cooperation agreement to build the ZCMU Pingyang Research Institute. The Third Affiliated Hospital of ZCMU signed a cooperation agreement to build a department with Pingyang County Government.

Chen Zhong and Zhang Shouyu unveiled the ZCMU Pingyang Hospital of Chinese Medicine and Pingyang Research Institute and witnessed the opening of the new hospital area with Cao Qifeng.

After the launching ceremony, the leaders visited the new hospital area of ZCMU Pingyang Hospital of Chinese Medicine. The new hospital area is built according to the standard of “renowned in China and first-class in Zhejiang”, with a total land area of 67,000 square meters, a total construction area of 98,000 square meters, and a total investment of 730 million yuan.It boasts six specialized buildings, including an inpatient building, outpatient building, medical technology building, administrative building, infectious disease room, and hyperbaric chamber, with a total of 800 beds.

Then Chen Zhong was invited to deliver a keynote speech at the “First Forum on TCM’s Assistance to the High-quality Development of Aojiang River Basin” held in Pingyang County. He introduced the achievementsmade byZCMU in leveraging the advantages of Chinese medicine toassist the high-quality development of mountainous counties.