The Children's Hospital of Fudan University will move from downtown Fenglin Road in Xuhui District to Wanyuan Road in outlying Minhang District early next year, officials said while celebrating the hospital's 55th anniversary and the completion of its new site over the weekend.

The move is expected to begin in March next year and take two or three months. The present site will maintain out-patient services, while the emergency department and in-patient treatment will be only available at the new site.

"The new hospital covers 80,000 square meters with 450 beds, while the present one only has 30,000 square meters with 330 beds. The limited space isn't comfortable for patients and affects the development of our hospital," said hospital President Huang Guoying. "Many experts can't provide more out-patient services due to the lack of room."

Eleven public transport lines will stop at the new site, and a shuttle bus will run between the two sites.

The new hospital also has much of its new equipment specially designed for children. "For example, children's hospitals in China never set up special toilets and wash basins for children, who have to depend on their parents' help. Our new hospital is the first to have such equipment," Huang said. "Different floors of the wards are decorated with different colors to make the hospital seem more like kindergarten."

The hospital has introduced sofas that can change into a small bed at night so parents can stay.

(Shanghai Daily November 19, 2007)