China's progress in tech-enabled remote surgery

China has achieved an impressive milestone in the field of medical technology. A surgeon from Shanghai Chest Hospital successfully performed a remote surgery on a patient located 5,000 kilometers away in Kashgar, Xinjiang Province, utilising a cutting-edge 5G surgical robotics system. The patient, a middle-aged woman with a lung tumor diagnosed three years prior, underwent this high-tech procedure following a thorough review of her medical records. The surgery, which lasted an hour, was completed without any complications, highlighting the precision and reliability of the technology.
This remarkable achievement was made possible through the efficient control of the robotic system by surgeons at Shanghai Chest Hospital, demonstrating the power of 5G telecommunications. Notably, the hospital has set a record by conducting over 1,000 thoracic operations annually using such advanced surgical systems.
China's advancements in 5G technology have been instrumental in making this possible. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the country's 5G network now covers every city and nearly 90 per cent of rural areas, with over 3.84 million base stations installed as of July 2024. This accounts for approximately 60 per cent of the total 5G stations worldwide.
This development is not just a testament to China's technological prowess but also a glimpse into the future of medicine, where distance is no longer a barrier to life-saving procedures.
Sherazur Rahman
Tacher and writer
Singra, Natore
[email protected]