Efforts are underway in the Chinese city of Changsha, Hunan Province, to build closer partnerships between clinicians and engineers to boost medical development. The First International Congress of Advanced Medical Engineering began there on Sunday, and will last two days. Our reporter Lu Sirui has more.

Approximately 200 scientists, clinicians and engineers from top institutions in the US, Australia, Germany, Singapore and China, have gathered in Changsha, Hunan province, to share experiences in translating research into products. The congress is hosted by Hunan University and the College of Materials Science and Engineering.

LI SHUTAO, Vice President, Hunan University "The development of medical engineering is closely related to people's lives and health. Since the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the steady promotion of biomedical materials in the 14th Five-Year Plan has become a strategic requirement for the country's priority development."

Experts say China is advancing its medical sector. Medical innovation is expected to reduce health inequality, and help to address the issues facing underserved populations.

The building of partnerships between clinicians and engineers plays a vital role in this regard, and international exchanges can also drive progress.

TEOH SWEE HIN, Professor, Hunan University "Starting with China, Asian needs internationalization. Because we know the next breakthrough will come at the interface of two or more disciplines. And it is therefore important, for China, for creativity, that internationalization is so important."

LU SIRUI, Changsha, Hunan Province "Experts of the congress believe the interaction between scientists, engineers and clinicians will not only contribute to medical innovation, but also accelerated the translational breakthroughs in patient's health and well-being. Lu Sirui, CGTN, Hunan Province."

Source: CGTN