Medical Outreach

A collaborative relationship was set up between MedArt and the Suzhou University Affiliated Suzhou Children’s Hospital, with the common goal of healing orphans with serious illnesses. Since 2005, MedArt has been sending teams of doctors to work on orphan children with its partner in Suzhou.

Each trip typically involves a weekend beginning with a pre-operation conference to discuss with students and doctors-in-training about clinical topics surrounding the care the medical team is about to deliver. The surgical team including the anesthesiologists and nurses will then review the patients whom they are going to operate on. They will then decide on final confirmatory laboratory and imaging studies, preoperative treatment, anaesthetic and surgical strategies, anticipated immediate or long-term problems, precautionary and back-up measures.

Patients selected for Suzhou are usually urgent cases who could not wait for a Hukou or travel document, or cases which do not require complex and prolonged care around surgeries. All medical expenses are covered by MedArt. The cross-border collaboration has opened up a new platform for MedArt in China; while Suzhou doctors can gain the experience of care delivery in a manner performed outside of China.

Dr. Yu was in Suzhou the weekend of October 8th for the surgery of two patients: Sun Q. and Sun C.

Sun Q. is a 3 month old baby boy with hydrocephalus which caused his head to grow very large and heavy.   Prior to surgery, he had episodes of vomiting, and his head circumference continued to grow.  He arrived at Suzhou Children's Hospital the afternoon before operation, 2 days behind schedule because of traffic problems.  He was in a poor state when he arrived at Suzhou from poor nutrition and respiratory failure, in addition to the severe hydrocephalus.  He also had frequent attacks of decerebrate rigidity and was unresponsive.  A VP shunt was put in him to drain the excess fluids in his brain.

Sun C. is a 2 month old boy with hydrocephalus and loss of vision on his right eye.  Like Sun Q., a VP shunt was put in him.

Dr. CP Yu and Dr. YW Fan took a trip to Suzhou to operate on two babies: Hu Si L. and Dang Can E.  A third baby, Dang Jin L, was treated and operated on by Suzhou doctors.  All medical expenses were covered by MedArt.

Hu Si L., a 45-day old baby boy was born with a massive sac behind his head with CT showing encephalocele with herniated brain tissue inside.  The sac continued to increase in size at the time of his arrival in Suzhou due to internal hemorrhage within the sac.  Hu had shallow breathing, and was not opening his eyes.  He also had no motor responses except for occasiona jerks.  He had difficulties breathing after surgery, and was transferred to ICU.  While he was stable enough to leave hospital on the 23rd of July, he passed away peacefully on his way back to Beijing.

Dang Can E. was just less than two month old while she received her surgery for encephalocele closure.  She was well enough to be discharged from Suzhou Children's Hospital on the 2nd of July.

Dang Jin L. who had spinal tethering was operated by Dr. Chen from Suzhou and was discharged from hospital on the 15th of July.