China’s first “flying eye and ENT hospital” has been upgraded with a Class I clean operating room, enabling it to perform ophthalmic and otorhinolaryngology surgeries onboard, the Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University announced on Tuesday. The aircraft-based medical facility is a joint initiative of the Shanghai hospital and the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China.
The enhancement marks a major step toward developing a high-level aviation medical system and expanding the country’s ability to deliver precision healthcare to remote regions.
“Initially limited to ophthalmology, our services now cover ENT as well — a global first,” said Zhou Xingtao, president of the hospital.
The flying hospital completed its first mission on Sept. 5, transporting more than 30 medical professionals from Shanghai to Shihezi in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. The domestically built aircraft carried advanced eye and ENT diagnostic equipment and tested an integrated model combining mobile clinics, comprehensive examinations, training, hands-on practice, and 5G-assisted remote consultations.
Nearly 50 patients benefited from on-site diagnostic and consultation services, including elderly individuals with retinal diseases, young people seeking laser vision correction, and patients with nasal allergies. Through 5G remote links, experts in Shanghai provided real-time medical support to patients thousands of kilometers away.
The installation of the onboard operating room aligns with directives from the National Health Commission to strengthen cataract surgery capacity at the county level and accelerate the development of airborne surgical systems, Zhou noted.
Built with domestically made, customizable equipment, the operating room uses a bolt-free design that enables rapid, damage-free installation of panels and purification systems. The setup can be completed within eight hours.
A newly developed variable wind-speed laminar flow module allowed engineers to meet the strict requirements of a Class I clean operating room within the aircraft cabin, overcoming challenges posed by limited cabin height. The system is fully compatible with the homegrown C909 aircraft and can be deployed quickly in emergency situations, enhancing China’s medical readiness, said Wen Wen, deputy director of the hospital’s administrative office.
Wen, who also heads the hospital’s blindness prevention and epidemiology programs, said initial surgeries will focus on cataract procedures due to strong demand in underserved regions. The flying hospital will also perform common ENT operations such as nasal polyp removal and sinusitis treatment.
