"In the past if I wanted surgery, I had to go to Hangzhou or Shanghai. But now the experts can come to me," said Lin Yongqing, a local resident in Putuo district, Zhoushan in a recent interview.

Lin, who just retired this year, had been suffering from chronic suppurative otitis media – a serious ear condition – for many years.

"I went to doctors before, but they said that I have to go to hospitals in megacities for further treatment," said Lin.

However, he was recently informed by local doctors that ear specialists from Shanghai visit Putuo People's Hospital regularly to provide medical services to locals in the district.

As a result, Lin went to the hospital and underwent successful surgery performed by the specialists on Nov 2.

Lin is not the only one to enjoy medical services provided by specialists from Shanghai. So far, the specialists have received over 3,000 patients and performed nearly 100 surgeries in Putuo People's Hospital.

The hospital has focused on deepening its cooperation with hospitals in megacities with the help of the Putuo district government, said a high-ranking employee at Putuo People's Hospital.

In recent years, the Putuo government has been dedicated to providing better medical services to locals.

In July 2019, the district built a health station on Liuheng Island, the first of its kind in Putuo district, which came equipped with a variety of medical devices, such as automated external defibrillators, blood pressure monitors and glucometers.

According to official data, the district had built nine health stations in total as of the end of October.