The major structure of the new Zhuhai Center for Chronic Disease Control (Zhuhai 3rd Renmin Hospital) was topped out in Nanping's Guangsheng Village on Dec 25.

Costing 965 million yuan ($138 million), the Grade-III Class-A specialized hospital covers 4.3 hectares (10.6 acres) east of Nanqin Road with floor area of 8.8 hectares (21.8 acres). It will be accessible by the Guangzhou-Macao Expressway on its west and Zhuhai Avenue to the north.

Zhuhai Gree Construction Investment Co is now focusing on the decor and installing equipment. There will be 800 beds for mental, chronic, and occupational diseases in response to a higher morbidity rate. The hospital will begin operations in mid-2021.

Construction well underway [Photo by Zhao Zi / Zhuhai Daily]

One of Zhuhai's top 10 livelihood-improvement projects in 2018, the facility will supervise the city's prevention, control, and epidemic surveillance of chronic infectious diseases, as well as the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of chronic non-infectious diseases.

Scientific research, training, health education, and technical guidance of both kinds of chronic diseases are also to be provided, as is psychological crisis intervention in public affairs emergencies and judicial appraisal of mental diseases. 

Most of the center's wards face south, and will have daylight and ventilation in addition to a dominant view of the central garden. In the shape of a half-closed courtyard, the buildings offer mountain scenes on the east side, and large central green activity areas for working staff and patients.

Support facilities include a canteen, café, pharmacy, convenience store, library, parking lot for thousands of vehicles, and stilt floors that provides recreational and rehabilitation facilities.