On August 20, Professor Felix J.F. Herth, Director of the Thoracic Hospital at Heidelberg University in Germany, and Dr. Sai Lakshmi Duraisingham, Consultant Physician in Geriatric Medicine at North West London Hospitals NHS Trust in the UK, visited the First People's Hospital of Lianyungang for academic exchange. The welcome ceremony was hosted by Zhang Hailin, Deputy Director of the hospital, with a speech delivered by Deputy Director Sun Yong. Staff members from the Talent Development Office, Department of Geriatric Medicine, and Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine attended the event.
Zhang Hailin introduced the two visiting experts to the attendees. Professor Felix Herth currently serves as Director of the Thoracic Hospital at Heidelberg University and Head of the Departments of Pulmonology and Intensive Care Medicine at Heidelberg University Hospital. A leading expert in respiratory medicine across Europe, he has made significant contributions in interventional pulmonology and critical care medicine. He holds key leadership roles in several major international academic organizations, including the European Respiratory Society, and has received numerous prestigious international awards in respiratory medicine, earning global recognition for his academic influence. Dr. Sai Lakshmi is a Consultant in Geriatric Medicine at North West London Hospitals NHS Trust and a Senior Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. She specializes in integrated elderly care and geriatric management, possessing extensive practical experience in clinical standards, medical quality control, and standardized training programs for resident physicians.
In his speech, Sun Yong warmly welcomed the two experts on behalf of the hospital. He emphasized that the First People's Hospital of Lianyungang, as a leading regional tertiary-level comprehensive hospital, shoulders vital responsibilities in providing medical services, education, research, and talent development for the people of Lianyungang and surrounding areas. The hospital’s departments of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and Geriatric Medicine are key focus areas, continuously improving clinical systems in pulmonary diseases, interventional pulmonology, critical care, and geriatric comorbidity management, comprehensive geriatric assessment, and integrated elderly care amid the aging population. He particularly noted that the hospital’s founding director, Mr. Liu Yilin, earned his PhD in Pediatrics from the University of Hamburg in Germany in 1933, establishing deep historical ties between the hospital and Germany. In recent years, the hospital has actively broadened its international outlook through initiatives such as the "Hundred Overseas Training Program," sending young talents abroad for advanced study to learn from cutting-edge clinical techniques, academic management models, and talent development systems in Europe and America. He expressed hope that this visit would mark the beginning of long-term, stable international collaboration, fostering practical cooperation in clinical guidance, academic lectures, talent training, and scientific research to jointly enhance regional capabilities in respiratory and critical care medicine and geriatrics, ultimately benefiting local communities.
Subsequently, the two experts shared insights into their respective institutions and professional backgrounds. Professor Herth outlined the history and development of the Thoracic Hospital at Heidelberg University, established in 1894, which has grown into one of Europe’s largest pulmonary centers and a world-leading institution in lung disease research and treatment, offering comprehensive medical services for all types of pulmonary conditions. Dr. Sai Lakshmi provided a detailed overview of the operational model of the UK National Health Service (NHS) and the organizational structure of the North West London Trust, ranked 15th nationally under NHS oversight. She elaborated on the central role of geriatric medicine in addressing global challenges posed by an aging population, sharing clinical experiences in Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) and the UK’s structured residency training system. She also discussed future collaborative opportunities in developing clinical standards, academic publishing, and joint research on WHO ICOPE international guidelines. Following these presentations, the hospital held a formal appointment ceremony, conferring honorary professorships upon both experts.
This exchange is one of the key initiatives by City First Hospital to advance its development as an international medical center. The two professors will actively participate in ward rounds, case discussions, and a series of specialized academic lectures, engaging in in-depth exchanges with our hospital's team on cutting-edge topics. Through close collaboration with world-renowned experts, this partnership will significantly strengthen the discipline development and talent cultivation in the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and the Department of Geriatric Medicine, providing strong support for establishing the hospital as a regional healthcare hub.