Chemnitz doctors visit twin city Taiyuan
A six-member delegation from Chemnitz is visiting the Chinese twin city of Chemnitz at the invitation of the city of Taiyuan from 11 to 17 May . The visit is the fourth exchange between medical professionals from the two twin cities. The Chemnitz delegation includes Prof. Dr Dirk Fahlenkamp, Head of the Urology Clinic at Bethanien Hospital, Dr Floris Dragos Miclea, Urology Resident at Bethanien Hospital and Prof. Dr Dr K. K. K. K., Head of the Urology Clinic at Bethanien Hospital. Floris Dragos Miclea, Assistant Urologist at Bethanien Hospital, Karl Friedrich Schmerer, Managing Director of Heim gGmbH and Christophe Holzapfel, Assistant to the Managing Director of HeimgGmbH. The delegation is accompanied by Uta Richter, a member of staff in the Mayor's Office of the City of Chemnitz, and interpreter Yanchao Richter.
The programme for the current stay of the doctors from Chemnitz in the Chinese twin city includes the partial implementation of the agreement reached between Bethanienkrankenhaus Chemnitz and the Chinese central hospital in 2013. Both hospitals are also interested in knowledge and technology transfer, for example on new research findings, quality assurance in medical services and also on hospital management and IT issues. There will also be coordination between the two partners with regard to cooperation in the area of home care for the elderly in Taiyuan. There are plans to set up a geriatric health centre with German standards called "Technical Cooperation Centre for Elderly Care Chemnitz - Taiyuan". This is to be sealed with a long-term contract. 3,500 young Chinese people will later be trained here with the support of German specialists. A well-functioning residential area will be selected in Taiyuan, where an elderly care structure will be established and managed using modern German procedures. In order to ensure this, teachers will receive further training and students will be given the opportunity to complete an internship in Chemnitz. In return, specialists from Chemnitz who are well-trained in elderly care and nursing will provide local support in setting up the new health centre.
The visit of a group of visitors from Chemnitz to the Chinese twin city in October 2013 already focussed on medical issues, as did a delegation from the No 2 People's Hospital in Taiyuan the year before. The visits focussed on exchanging experiences on topics such as geriatrics, care services and hospice work. A cooperation agreement was signed last year between the Zeisigwaldkliniken Bethanien Chemnitz and the central hospital in Taiyuan
About the town twinning: The town twinning between Taiyuan and Chemnitz(www.chemnitz.de) has existed since 1999 and was initially characterised by economic contacts and visits by official delegations. 15 years after the signing of the agreement, there is now a lively exchange between the two cities on many different levels: for example, marathon runners from the Chinese twin city will be competing in this year's 7th Chemnitz Marathon. In return, Chemnitz athletes will take part in the Taiyuan Marathon. Artists and craftspeople from the Chinese twin city have been enriching the Chemnitz City Festival with folk art from the Middle Kingdom for several years now. The city of Chemnitz was honoured with the "Prize for Exchange and Cooperation with China" in November 2012. Chemnitz was honoured with the prize at the International Friendship Cities Conference held in Chengdu, China, in recognition of its long-standing cooperation with its twin city Taiyuan.