Since the signing of the cooperation agreement between Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center (ZOC) of Sun Yat-sen University and the Hong Kong Hospital Authority on November 13, 2024, ZOC has initiated a series of exchange and collaboration activities with Hong Kong. These included dispatching two associate chief physicians, Dr. Chen Hui and Dr. Huang Chuangxin, to work in Hong Kong under the "Greater Bay Area Healthcare Talents Exchange Program," performing high-volume cataract surgeries in Hong Kong, and organizing joint Guangdong-Hong Kong case discussions. On January 23, 2025, the integration of healthcare between Guangdong and Hong Kong reached a new milestone—the signing ceremony for the Memorandum of Strategic Cooperation between ZOC and Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital (HKSH) was held in ZOC's Building G on Guangzhou Bio-Island. Professor Lin Haotian, President of ZOC, and Dr. Walton Li, Medical Superintendent of Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, represented their respective institutions in signing this significant document. The ceremony was presided over by Professor Liang Lingyi, Vice President of ZOC and Director of the Office for the Prevention and Treatment of Blindness.
ZOC has long maintained close ties with the Hong Kong medical community, continuously exploring exchanges and cooperation across various fields. Through preliminary communication and friendly consultation, ZOC and HKSH reached a consensus to sign this Memorandum of Strategic Cooperation, aiming to more closely integrate the medical expertise and strengths of both sides and launch comprehensive, in-depth collaboration.
At the signing ceremony, Professor Lin Haotian stated that HKSH is a century-old institution in Hong Kong, renowned in Asian healthcare for its exceptional medical standards, advanced technological equipment, and superb nursing services. ZOC looks forward to working hand-in-hand with HKSH, leveraging their respective specialties and advantages to achieve even closer cooperation. The signing of this Memorandum not only serves as a model for mainland and Hong Kong medical institutions joining forces and deepening collaboration but also marks a new starting point for medical exchange and integration between the two regions. It will provide strong impetus for the coordinated development of ophthalmology healthcare within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Dr. Walton Li expressed that since its establishment, ZOC has continuously pursued excellence, achieving fruitful results in clinical diagnosis and treatment, scientific research and innovation, talent cultivation, and more, becoming a top-ranked ophthalmology institution internationally. This cooperation provides a significant opportunity for both sides to deepen exchanges and advance together. He hopes that through signing this Memorandum, collaboration and exchange between the two institutions will be strengthened, benefiting residents of both Guangdong and Hong Kong.
In the future, guided by the Memorandum of Strategic Cooperation, ZOC and HKSH will carry out exchanges in multiple fields through regular consultations, personnel exchanges, resource sharing, and collaborative research. These efforts will inject new vitality into the development of eye health services in the Greater Bay Area, contributing jointly to the advancement of medicine.
The delegation from HKSH attending the signing ceremony also visited several facilities within ZOC's Building G on Guangzhou Bio-Island, including the Artificial Intelligence R&D Department, the Engineering Technology Research Center of Ophthalmic Diagnosis and Treatment Innovations, the Big Data in Biology Laboratory, the Stem Cell Clinical Research GMP Laboratory, and the Laboratory Animal Center for Ophthalmology. Following the tour, the delegation highly praised ZOC's achievements in medical-industrial integration, innovative technology, research development, and the translation of research findings into practice, expressing anticipation for more exchanges and cooperation in the future.
