On the morning of December 23, 2025, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center (ZOC) of Sun Yat-sen University officially launched its TBL Mobile Ophthalmic Operating Room, and successfully performed ophthalmic surgeries on two patients with ocular surface diseases. This marks another solid stride forward for the Center in the field of mobile medical services, following the completion of the nation's first-ever ophthalmic surgery conducted onboard a flying eye hospital.
Renovated from a standard shipping container during Sun Yat-sen University’s centennial celebration in 2024, the TBL Mobile Ophthalmic Operating Room features outstanding mobility, wide coverage, high efficiency of resource utilization, as well as strong adaptability and flexibility. It stands as an innovative model of ophthalmic surgical treatment, and serves as one of the key components of ZOC's comprehensive "Air-Space-Land-Sea" eye health service system.
After over a year of repeated testing in various outdoor storage conditions, all environmental monitoring indicators inside the TBL Mobile Ophthalmic Operating Room have fully met the requirements for performing ophthalmic surgeries. The smooth completion of these surgeries has provided the Center with substantial empirical data for establishing management standards for mobile operating rooms.
Preparations for this initiative began in early December, encompassing multiple stages including patient selection, pre-operative examinations, cleaning and disinfection of the operating room, microbial monitoring of air and surface environments, equipment debugging, and pre-operative assessments. These rigorous steps ensured medical safety and service quality, enabling patients to access high-standard surgical care right at their doorstep and truly delivering zero-distance compassionate ophthalmic services.
Since 2015, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center has been exploring intelligent diagnosis and treatment, mobile medical services, and international cooperation, achieving a pivotal zero-to-one breakthrough in these fields. On June 5, 2023, the 5G Intelligent Ophthalmic Mobile Clinic Vehicle was officially put into operation. Starting from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, ZOC pioneered the nationwide practice of intelligent ophthalmic outreach services, and introduced the novel mobile healthcare model of "Mobile Clinic Vehicle + Mobile Operating Room". In February 2025, this integrated model was incorporated into the National Health Commission's work plan for enhancing the capacity of cataract surgeries in county-level hospitals.
Looking ahead, utilizing platforms like the mobile operating room, the Center will continuously strengthen the training of grassroots ophthalmologists, regularly organize academic exchanges and professional guidance, and cultivate a cohort of competent and dedicated professional ophthalmic talents for primary healthcare institutions. This effort aims to extend high-quality ophthalmic medical technologies down to the grassroots levels, enabling more patients to access advanced ophthalmic diagnostic and treatment services locally. Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center is committed to contributing its expertise to the comprehensive advancement of the Healthy China initiative.
