E stands behind facade of old French hospital
renamed several times and got its present name, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, in 2005.
The hospital archives reveal the twin buildings embraced a “peak time” in 1952 when they were combined and assigned to the internal department of the hospital.
Kuang Ankun, founder of this department, had nurtured five majors and numerous professionals of internal medicine in the buildings. A galaxy of China’s renowned medical masters, including Chen Zhu and Chen Saijuan among the five academicians, have all worked and developed their career from here.
Today the garden-style compound of Ruijin Hospital is still sprinkled with several other historical buildings in classic style, including Building No. 8, the former maternity ward built in 1922 and Building No. 9, one of the only four structures built in 1907 upon the founding of the hospital. The latter now serves as a museum of hospital history.
And the Ruijin Hospital has developed to be a large hospital complete with medical treatment, education and research facilities. Covering an area of 110,000 square meters, the hospital now has 4,402 employees, 1,893 beds and has won numerous awards for superb medical skills and services. With the help of cuttingedge technology such as AI and 5G, the hospital sent several medical teams to Wuhan hospitals who had done a great job in saving COVID-19 patients.
Today, the hospital’s spirit “Guangbo Ci’ai, Zhuiqiu Zhuoyue” or “pursuit of excellence with extensive charity and love” is traced to its old Chinese name and medical spirit —“Guang Ci” (extensive charity and love).
The twin buildings, though mottled and worn-out, are still functioning as the department of internal medicine and witnessing a new chapter of care and love in this Shanghai hospital.