Two CAOS-PIA Ponseti Training Centers welcome their unveiling ceremonies in China.
Dr. Ninan Qi, an up-and-coming pediatric surgeon established a dedicated Ponseti treatment facility in the Harbin Fifth Municipal Hospital in 2016 with support of the Principle of this public institute. Dr. Qi fell interest in Ponseti method when he was a fellow of Dr. Li Zhao, the advocator and pioneer practitioner of Ponseti method in China, back in 2013. He has invested in a lot of time in practice and ongoing study ever since. In Dec. 2015, with the sponsorship from CAOS-PIA Partnership project, Dr. Qi had a chance to visit Iowa University and join Dr. Jose Morcuende’s team. He witnessed excellent clinical result in the patients undergoing Ponseti treatment and obtained deeper and comprehensive understanding on technical details. An idea to duplicate the quality of Ponseti treatment in Iowa University had been gradually developed in his mind. His facility is the first dedicated one in public hospitals in China. Furthermore, he has formed an ad hoc team to ensure every step along Ponseti method well controlled for quality.
Dr. Li Zhao, the founder of Shanghai Ying Hua Medical Group of Bone and Joint healthcare in Children, the advocator and early adopter of Ponseti method in China, together with Dr. Zhensheng Ma, the director of task force team for clubfoot management using Ponseti method in China and the Chairman, Chinese Society of Bone and Joint Developmental Disorder and Disability Prevention affiliated to CAOS, along with Dr. Jose Morcuende, President and CEO of the Ponseti International Association and many other healthcare practitioners and disability prevention officials, celebrated the unveiling of Ponseti Training Center located in Shanghai Haihua Hospital. This Ponseti treatment facility established by Dr. Zhao in Jan 2017 and was the first ad hoc clinic in private sector. China is under reform of healthcare system and encouraging well-trained physicians to practice across hospitals. The Government also welcome the development of private institutes as essential complements of public sector to better serve diversified needs. Dr. Zhao’s clinic is in Shanghai, the frontier of China’s openness and reform will undoubtfully shape a model for quality care so the Government may adopt and promote in other developing areas. Dr. Zhao has had his team formed for a long time since he invested a lot of time practicing and promoting the theory and technique of Ponseti method many years ago. Now he has already successfully treated more than 500 clubfoot patients throughout China with Ponseti method and being a diligent worker to establish Ponseti standard and service network across China.
CAOS (Chinese Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons) and PIA (Ponseti International Association) achieved consensus 2015 in Beijing to establish Ponseti Method for Congenital Clubfoot Promotion and Education Commission for “train the trainers” program to kick off in China. This Commission shoulders the mission of eliminating disabilities result from late intervention of clubfoot deformity by 2025 throughout China.
Dr. Jose Morcuende gave high appreciations to the two centers on behalf of PIA and expressed his best wishes to the prospective of CAOS-PIA program in China a very successful one under leadership of Chairman Zhensheng Ma.