Project HOPE, one of the biggest US-based international non-profit charity foundations, renewed a five-year agreement with Shanghai Second Medical University Wednesday.

According to the agreement, the project will help build an 18-floor cardiac center at Shanghai Children's Medical Center and cooperate with the university to launch more international conferences and promote the treatment of diabetes, heart disease and other ailments.

Moreover, the project will finance local medical professionals to study and intern abroad as well as sending foreign medical experts to provide training and long-term service at hospitals in Shanghai.

"Project HOPE is very glad to help improve medical service in China," said John Howe, president and CEO of Project HOPE. "We have donated some US$45 million in cash and equipment to Shanghai Children's Medical Center. It is our biggest program in the world to build it as China's best and biggest surgery center and training center for children's heart disease."

In addition to financial aid, health officials said the cooperation brings new concepts to the city.

"Through experts sent by Project HOPE, we have learned many advanced ideas from the West," said Shen Xiaoming, president of Shanghai Second Medical University.

"For instance, we are able to reduce our patients' average hospital stay by 10 days - from 50 to 40 days."

"We also recruit volunteers to give academic direction to hospitalized children and they can keep up with their classmates after being discharged from hospital," he added.

(Shanghai Daily August 26, 2004)