The news that the largest hospital in Asia, Zhengda University First Affiliated Hospital West Campus, will suspend its services starting today has become a hot topic on November 20th. The hospital has been in operation for less than a year and a half. Some netizens have raised concerns that this significant event involving public health may be related to financial risks and policy pressure within the medical system.
According to the announcement released by Zhengzhou University First Affiliated Hospital, the medical extension points at Zhutun Road and Huafertilizer East Road will cease operations as of November 20th.
The “Zhengzhou University First Affiliated Hospital Zhutun Road and Huafertilizer East Road medical extension points” mentioned in the announcement refer to the former Zhengda University First Affiliated Hospital West Campus. The campus has been operational for less than a year and a half.
As reported on the official website of Zhengda University First Affiliated Hospital, on July 16, 2024, the West Campus of Zhengda University First Affiliated Hospital commenced operations, featuring emergency rooms, operating rooms, medical auxiliary inspection departments, and ward buildings with a total of 600 beds across 15 wards. The department settings in the campus meet the requirements for a tertiary comprehensive hospital.
The report also mentioned that the opening and operation of the West Campus of Zhengda University First Affiliated Hospital signaled the formal establishment of the “one hospital, five divisions” development pattern of the hospital.
At that time, the “one hospital, five divisions” of Zhengda University First Affiliated Hospital referred to the He Hospital Area, East Campus, North Campus, South Campus, and West Campus.
However, the expression of “one hospital, five divisions” cannot be found in the “Hospital Overview” section on the official website of Zhengda University First Affiliated Hospital. According to the latest information, the hospital is now aiming to create a “one hospital, three divisions” model as a tertiary hospital.
Zhengzhou University First Affiliated Hospital stated in the announcement that patients with medical needs can visit other campuses of the hospital or nearby medical institutions for treatment.
The closure of the West Campus of Zhengda University First Affiliated Hospital, a typical representative of the “expansion and strengthening” strategy of public hospitals in mainland China, from “one hospital, five divisions” to “one hospital, three divisions” in less than a year and a half signifies the abandonment of a crucial part of its expansion strategy, a move rarely seen in the national medical system.
Netizens have raised doubts: the closure of the campus shortly after its opening implies a waste of significant resources invested in the early stage (including construction, equipment procurement, personnel recruitment, and training).
The campus of Zhengda University First Affiliated Hospital was temporarily closed for outpatient, emergency, and fever clinics on July 20, 2021, due to severe flooding, which garnered nationwide attention at the time.
Regarding the reason for the suspension, the official announcement from the West Campus of Zhengda University First Affiliated Hospital cited it as an effort to further enhance the quality of medical services and optimize the functional layout of the campus.
In response, netizens have questioned whether this is a diplomatic statement that does not truly reveal the genuine reasons behind the suspension, which could potentially involve financial or operational difficulties.
Additionally, the hospital’s announcement categorizes the closure of the West Campus of Zhengda University First Affiliated Hospital as a suspension of a “medical extension point” rather than a closure of an “entire campus,” prompting netizens to speculate that this could be a way to “diminish the public scrutiny of its ‘strategic failure.'”
Some netizens believe that the suspension of the West Campus of Zhengda University First Affiliated Hospital represents a microcosm of the crossroads faced by the expansion model of mainland China’s “super hospitals,” exposing possible financial risks, talent bottlenecks, and policy pressure behind rapid expansion.