In 2020, as part of the ongoing efforts to enhance Shanghai’s capabilities in responding to public health emergencies, and in alignment with the “Fifth Round of the Three-Year Public Health Action Plan of Shanghai”, the Emergency Management Office of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission took the lead in launching the “Project for Establishing a Contingency Plan System and Emergency Response ‘Reserve Team’ for Public Health Emergencies” and established a public health emergency response reserve team of over 5,000 individuals. Specifically, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (SJTUSM) spearheaded the establishment of three sub-teams, including one on medical treatment, one on nursing, and one on psychological crisis intervention. It developed the “SJTUSM Model” for training emergency response talents, providing valuable, replicable, and transferable experiencesthatcontribute to ensuring public health safetynot onlyin Shanghai but throughout China.
In a move to further boost the training of talents and foster a teaching staff for public health emergency response, as well as to enhance capabilities and practical skills in public health emergency response, the Training Center for Shanghai Public Health Emergency Response Reserve Team was launched on October 24that Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Over 200 people attended the launch ceremony, including Fan Xianqun, Chancellor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Lu Taohong, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, Fang Yong, Vice Chancellor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Wu Wenhui, Director of the Emergency Management Office of Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, Zhang Xin, Party Secretary of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Nursing, Shao Xinhua, Director of the Hospital Management Department of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Dai Yang, Deputy Director of the Emergency Management Office of Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, and Fang Qiong, Vice Dean of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Nursing. The ceremony was also attended by Chinese experts in the field of public health emergency response, members of the National Health Emergency Rescue Team, members of the Shanghai Emergency Response Reserve Team, and various other participants. Wu Wenhui hosted the ceremony.
Lu Taohong highlighted in his speech that Shanghai is committed to boosting public health capabilities and charting a course for governing public health safety in a mega-city. Over the past three years, the 5000-personemergency response reserve team has made huge contributions to addressing major outbreaks and public health emergencies. They have formed a robust defense line, safeguarding the lives and health of the peoplewhilesetting an example for the top-level design, institutions, mechanisms and operations management of urban public health emergency responsereserveteams. With Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine pooling resources and efforts from various sides, the Training Center for Shanghai Public Health Emergency Response Reserve Team has been launched. This marks a significant step in strengthening the public health system, enhancing the capabilities in responding to public health emergencies, and further developing the emergency response talent pool. The Shanghai Municipal Health Commission will provide full support for the training center, with the hope that Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine will continue to leverage its expertise with regard to developing public health system and fostering talents, contributing new and greater strengths to the Healthy Shanghai and Healthy China Initiative.
Fan Xianqun stated in his speech that Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine has always taken the initiative to align itself with China’s and Shanghai’s health strategies. It has been actively tackling public health emergencies, striving to ensure people’s health on all fronts and throughout their lifecycles. Among the 7 sub-teams of Shanghai’s public health emergency response reserve team, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine has been tasked to form three of them: the “Temporary Medical Institution and Medical Treatment Team” led by the SJTUSM-affiliated Ruijin Hospital, the “Emergency Nursing Team” led by the School of Nursing, and the “Psychological Crisis Intervention Team” led by the SJTUSM-affiliated Shanghai Mental Health Center. These teams have successfully completed various medical tasks, providingrobustsupportin strengtheningdefenses against the pandemic and making significant contributions to addressing public health emergencies. The launch of the Training Center for Shanghai Public Health Emergency Response Reserve Team today unlocks a new chapter for the SJTUSM, representing the trust and recognition extended to the institution.The SJTUSM will align with the requirements of ensuring public health safety in a mega-city, tap into its strengths in talent pool, discipline development, scientific research, and the presence of multiple national-level medical centers to build a world-class and domestically leading training center for public health emergency response reserve teams. It will continue to boost the development of the emergency response reserve teams, making greater contributions to the Healthy China Initiative and the establishment of a community of shared future for human health.
Lu Taohong and Fang Yong jointly unveiled the Training Center for Shanghai Public Health Emergency Response Reserve Team
The training center will leverage the Shanghai Public Health Emergency Response Reserve Team and the eight training facilities to establish arobust systemfor training the city’s public health emergency response reserve teams. It will also establish a team proficient in emergency response and science communication to effectively disseminate knowledge on public health emergency response, thus enhancing overall public awareness and preparedness for responding to such emergencies. The center will further strengthen policy research across various aspects of emergency response, providingtheresearchfoundationand talent pool for the formulation and promotion of the “Shanghai Approach” to public health.
On the day of the launch ceremony, the first Shanghai Public Health Emergency Response Training Workshop was held as scheduled. The workshop was guided by the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, hosted by Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and co-hosted by Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Nursing and the Hospital Management Department of SJTUSM. Over the course of two days, experts and scholars from the Department of Emergency Response of National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, the Party School of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, SJTUSM and its affiliated hospitals, Fudan University, and Naval Medical University shared their valuable practical experiences in public health emergency response with the participants of the workshop.
