About Shanghai Children's Medical Center
Shanghai Children's Medical Center (SCMC), founded in 1998 through a landmark collaboration between Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and the US-based Project HOPE, has grown into one of Asia's most respected pediatric tertiary-care institutions. Today SCMC operates 600 inpatient beds across a 60,000 sqm modern campus in Pudong New Area, employing more than 380 board-certified physicians and 2,500 healthcare professionals. It is fully JCI-accredited (Joint Commission International) — a credential held by fewer than 20 Chinese hospitals — and serves as the National Children's Medical Center (East China) designated by China's National Health Commission.
View Detailed Introduction — Programs, Services & More
== China's #1 Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Center ==
SCMC's pediatric cardiac surgery program is the highest-volume and most outcomes-validated in China. The center performs over 4,000 pediatric heart surgeries per year, including complex repairs of single-ventricle defects, Tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great arteries, hypoplastic left heart syndrome (Norwood/Fontan staged repairs), and pediatric heart transplantation. Mortality rates for arterial switch operation, complete AVSD repair, and Fontan completion all match or beat international benchmarks (STS Congenital Heart Database). The team routinely accepts referred neonates from across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa whose conditions exceed local surgical capability.
== Pediatric Oncology & Hematology ==
SCMC houses one of China's three flagship pediatric hematology-oncology units, with a 70-bed inpatient wing dedicated to leukemias, lymphomas, neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma, brain tumors, and bone marrow failure syndromes. The transplant unit performs 150+ allogeneic and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplants annually, with 5-year survival for standard-risk ALL exceeding 90%. CAR-T cell therapy for pediatric relapsed/refractory B-cell ALL became available in 2022 via the affiliated cell-therapy center.
== Neonatology & Pediatric Critical Care ==
The Level IV NICU (60 beds) is one of the few in China equipped to handle extremely low birth weight infants under 500g, with ECMO and high-frequency oscillatory ventilation available 24/7. The PICU (40 beds) accepts the most complex pediatric critical-care cases from the Yangtze River Delta region.
== Other Major Programs ==
Beyond cardiology and oncology, SCMC operates nationally-ranked services in pediatric neurology and epilepsy surgery (including vagal nerve stimulation and laser ablation), pediatric urology, pediatric orthopedic surgery (scoliosis correction, limb lengthening), congenital craniofacial surgery, pediatric general surgery (including minimally invasive laparoscopy), pediatric ophthalmology, audiology and cochlear implants, allergy and immunology, and a fully integrated child-development assessment center for autism spectrum disorders and rare genetic conditions.
== International Patient Services ==
SCMC's International Medical Department was established specifically to serve overseas families. Dedicated bilingual patient coordinators speak English, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, and Japanese. Services include:
- Pre-arrival medical-record review (free) and remote consultation with the assigned specialist
- Visa-invitation letters for medical purposes (M-visa, Q1 family visa)
- Pudong International Airport pickup and dedicated transfer service (25 minutes by car)
- Private VIP inpatient suites (single room + family accommodation, en-suite bath, internet, refrigerator)
- Multilingual translators present during all consultations and ward rounds
- Halal, kosher, vegetarian, and culturally-tailored meal options
- 24/7 in-house translation hotline
- Post-discharge remote follow-up via WeChat / WhatsApp with the treating physician
- Travel-companion accommodation referral with affiliated hotels under 1 km from the hospital
== Track Record with International Patients ==
SCMC has treated patients from over 80 countries since the international program launched in 2003 — most recently expanding admissions from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Russia, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Brazil, Spain, and the Philippines. The center collaborates with referring physicians via secure cross-border case-review channels and provides complete English-language medical records on discharge for continuity of care.
== Cost Positioning ==
Treatment costs at SCMC are typically 40-60% lower than equivalent procedures in the US or Western Europe — for example, complex congenital heart repair averages US$25,000-45,000 including ICU stay vs. US$150,000-300,000 in the US. The hospital provides itemized written estimates before admission, payable in CNY (cash, bank card, or wire). USD, EUR, and JPY are accepted at the hospital's currency exchange counter.
== Location & Accessibility ==
1678 Dongfang Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai — within 25 minutes by car of Pudong International Airport (PVG) and 35 minutes of Hongqiao International Airport (SHA). Metro Line 6 (Dongfang Hospital station) is a 5-minute walk. International-standard hotels (Marriott, Renaissance, Holiday Inn) are within 1 km, several with negotiated medical-traveler rates.
== Why Families Choose SCMC ==
Three pillars set SCMC apart from regional alternatives: (1) the combined depth of pediatric cardiac, oncology, and transplant programs in a single campus — no other Chinese pediatric hospital has all three at this scale; (2) the explicit, English-fluent international department backed by 20+ years of overseas-patient experience; (3) demonstrably better surgical outcomes for the most complex congenital heart disease cases anywhere in the Asia-Pacific region. Families seeking surgical or oncologic care for pediatric conditions that exceed their local hospital's expertise consistently rank SCMC alongside Boston Children's, Toronto's SickKids, and Singapore's KKH as a top destination.
