This is the first affiliated hospital of the Southern Medical University (formerly the First Military Medical University). As the earliest medical center to serve foreigners, Nanfang Hospital has admitted more than 110,000 patients from over 90 countries and regions. The CCP Central Military Commission named it “Exemplary Medical Division [Serving] Overseas Chinese.” It ranks 16th in the latest ranking for China’s best hospitals (Fudan edition). The hospital has 2,225 beds, more than 600 senior professionals and technical personnel, 102 doctoral advisors, and 148 Master’s advisors. ⁴⁵⁰

The Department of Organ Transplantation has over 30 medical staff members, including 2 professors, 6 associate professors and associate chief surgeons, and 4 attending surgeons. The majority of the professionals have PhDs. Three of them were trained as post-doctoral fellows at the Organ Transplant Center of the University of Pittsburgh, the Organ Transplant Center of Northwestern University, and the Organ Transplant Center of University of Cincinnati, respectively. ⁴⁵¹

The head of the kidney transplant center, Professor Yu Lixin, a PhD advisor, is a distinguished expert for the Bureau of Health Care for Central Officials, head of the national kidney transplant professional group, and chairman of the Guangdong Organ Transplantation Society. He has achieved an advanced level internationally in research on kidney, liver, pancreas, and abdominal multi-organ transplants.⁴⁵² In collaboration with colleagues, Yu has completed over 3,800 surgical cases of kidney transplants. He has published over 200 papers as the first author, and trained one hundred graduate students so far. ⁴⁵³

In a paper published in 2004, he stated that as early as November 2001, the hospital had conducted 2,123 kidney transplants. The hospital consistently ranks second in the nation for the volume of kidney transplants performed.⁴⁵⁴

The research conducted by this Department of Kidney Transplantation has reached an internationally advanced level. In addition, the research in the field of liver transplants, combined pancreas-kidney and liver-kidney transplants has been leading nationally. Since 1978, the quantity and quality of kidney transplants are among the national top list, ranking second to top in China and top in Guangdong Province. ⁴⁵⁵

Its Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery is one of largest of three liver transplant centers in southern China. It carried out

relevant basic and clinical research early, and is one of the institutions carrying out the largest volume of liver transplants in Guangdong Province. The center is state-authorized to offer Doctorate Degree. In recent years, it has been responsible for more than 10 programs from the National Natural Science Foundation, the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, and the Key Technologies R & D Program of Guangdong Province, while supported by one million RMB of funding. ⁴⁵⁶

Professor Zhou Jie, the director of the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, a PhD advisor, has especially deep knowledge in the subject of liver transplantation. Deputy Director Yang Dinghua, a PhD advisor, has worked in the area of clinical application and research on hepatobiliary surgery and liver transplants for over 20 years.⁴⁵⁷
The hospital has trained a large number of doctoral and Master’s students in its kidney transplantation program. These students began with no knowledge of kidney transplantation but became relatively skilled kidney transplant specialists after finishing their internships.⁴⁵⁸