"Previously, I had to goto Lhasa for dialysis. The one-way trip took more than five hours, three times a week, so I had to rent a place in Lhasa. Now I can receive treatment at my doorstep, and it takes just over an hour to get there. This has really solved a big problem for us!"In the hemodialysis room of Nagqu People's Hospital, patient Gongqiong Dajie's words expressed the feelings of many patients on the northern Xizang Plateau. Since it opened in 2025, the hemodialysis room at Nagqu People's Hospital has received a total of 1,457 patient visits.

A kidney disease patient receives treatment in the hemodialysis room of Nagqu People's Hospital. [Photo/Xinhua]

Nagqu, with an average altitude of 4,500 meters, is cold and oxygen-poor and has a vast territory with a sparse population. It had long faced challenges such as a shortage of medical resources and a large service radius. Since the launch in November,2025,of the central-finance-supported demonstration project for public hospital reform and high-quality development, Nagqu has focused on making medical visits more comfortable, the environment warmer, and services more considerate. It has organized and implemented the"Five Comfortable Medical Care Projects",using the "small entry point"of optimizing the entire medical visit process to drive a "major reform"in improving people's livelihood.

Walking into Nagqu People's Hospital, one finds bright, clean windows and green plants. Red, yellow, and blue floor decals extend along the corridors, seamlessly connecting the routes to registration, consultation, examination, and pharmacy. The improvement in the medical environment gives people a tangible sense of change, but this is only the first step. The real change in medical conditions on the northern Xizang Plateau lies more in the improvement of medical standards.

The environment of the clinical and medical technology department area at Nagqu People's Hospital. [Photo/Xinhua]

In April of this year, with support from paired assistance programs for Xizang, Nagqu People's Hospital introduced 3D printing equipment for the first time and completed debugging of the modeling process, applying it multiple times to preoperative surgical planning. Recently, the neurosurgery department of Nagqu People's Hospital successfully performed Xizang's first minimally invasive surgery for cerebral hemorrhage guided by a 3D-printed guide plate, enabling the treatment of acute and critical cerebral hemorrhage to achieve shorter surgery time, higher positioning accuracy, and faster postoperative recovery.

Ban Yunchao, a neurosurgery expert assisting Xizang at Nagqu People's Hospital, introduced that based on CT data, the medical team used 3D software before surgery to accurately model and identify the best path for hematoma puncture. "The surgery used only a 3-centimeter skin incision and a 1-centimeter-diameter bone hole to precisely place the puncture catheter into the hematoma cavity. The entire procedure took 30 minutes, and the patient regained consciousness the day after surgery."

Ban said that introducing advanced technology and equipment allows patients to receive treatment "at their doorstep",and that new practices such as discussing treatment plans before surgery through 3D-printed models make patients and their families more at ease.

While improving technology, the hospital has also worked on service details.

"The Nagqu horse is for the imaging department, the yak is for the medical records department, and the Tibetan antelope is for the functional department…"A wayfinding signage system full of Qiangtang Grassland characteristics caught the attention of patients. In response to pastoral-area residents'unfamiliarity with medical terminology and signs, the hospital innovatively selected eight animal images familiar to the public as exclusive symbols for eight departments, matching them to guidance slips and nameplates to form a distinctive wayfinding system. Since its promotion, the number of on-site inquiries about directions at medical institutions in Nagqu has dropped by more than 50% year on year.

The distinctive wayfinding signs set up at Nagqu People's Hospital.[Photo/Xinhua]

Changes in medical insurance payment have also brought tangible convenience to the public. Now, Nagqu has introduced facial-recognition medical insurance settlement services at 29 designated medical insurance institutions. Insured residents need only "show their face"to complete identity verification and expense settlement. The 114 township health centers in Nagqu have completed information system port upgrades, freeing people from troubles such as lost or worn medical insurance cards and forgotten payment passwords.

These heartwarming measures have brought people a tangible sense of gain. In the first half of 2026, total medical visits within Nagqu reached 421,400, and total medical insurance settlements reached 97.9367 million yuan. Satisfaction rates among outpatient and inpatient patients both exceeded 90%.

From environmental improvement to smart payment, from distinctive wayfinding to night clinics, from hospital director receptions to closed-loop rectification, Nagqu is using concrete actions one after another to provide effective guarantees and convenience for people seeking medical care on the northern Xizang Plateau.

Reporter: Lu Danyang

Translator: Ni Weijing

First Review: Zhi Xinghua

Second Review: Drakpa Wangchen

Third Review: Hu Rongguo