Shanghai is establishing the nation's first urgent treatment network for cardiac patients, in order to ensure people who have had heart attacks or other cardiac problems can receive proper treatment no matter which hospital they are sent to.

"Heart attacks take place any time and any place. Some patients are sent to nearby small hospitals, which don't have the required professionals and experience," said Shen Weifeng, director of Ruijin Hospital's cardiology department.

"Without proper treatment, about 50 to 60 percent of patients will die within 20 hours after a heart attack. "When the network is complete in two to three years, all hospitals in the city will be connected, allowing them to share information and resources, medical experts said.

"When a patient is sent to a small hospital, the person can be transferred to a qualified facility immediately after primary therapy," Shen said.

"If moving him is too risky, doctors in small facilities can consult experts at city-based hospitals by sending medical reports over the Internet."

The city will promote the idea in other parts of China once the network is running.

(Shanghai Daily September 16, 2005)