On October 16, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital officially launched the Neurointerventional Physician Training Program in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia. The opening ceremony was held at the hospital, marking a new milestone in China-Indonesia health cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The event was attended by Dr. Aristo Setiawidjaja, Special Advisor to the Indonesian Minister of Health; Dr. Hanchao Li, China Advisor to the Ministry; Prof. Lihong Fan, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Committee; Prof. Yuehua Li, Vice President of the hospital; and experts from the Department of Radiology. Prof. Yueqi Zhu, Director of Radiology, served as host.

In her remarks, Deputy Party Secretary Fan welcomed the visiting Indonesian trainees and emphasized that the program reflects China’s commitment to building a Global Community of Health for All. She noted that the hospital will leverage its strong foundation in neurointervention to cultivate “seed physicians” and create a model for international medical talent training.

Vice President Li highlighted that Interventional Radiology is a National Clinical Key Specialty and that the one-year program will provide systematic, hands-on training to help Indonesian doctors master advanced techniques in stroke and intracranial aneurysm intervention.

As Indonesia faces rising demand for stroke and neurovascular treatment, the shortage of specialized interventional physicians has become a critical bottleneck. Dr. Aristo Setiawidjaja praised the initiative as timely and strategic, expressing hope that the trainees will contribute to strengthening Indonesia’s medical service capacity.

Following a White Coat Ceremony, both sides held a discussion on clinical practice, technology development, and future cooperation. The program aims to train physicians who can independently perform neurointerventional procedures and introduce international best practices to their home institutions.

This initiative is a practical outcome of the 2022 China-Indonesia health cooperation framework, and a vivid example of aligning China’s high-quality medical resources with the healthcare needs of Belt and Road partner countries. The program is expected to further enhance regional stroke care and promote long-term medical collaboration between China and Indonesia.