A two-day 2025 Hong Kong-Macao-Hengqin-Zhuhai-Zhongshan-Jiangmen-Yangjiang Emergency Medical Rescue Competition and Joint Drill was held on March 6-7 at the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Guangdong Province, aiming to deepen cooperation in the health sector across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Seven regions collaborate to strengthen emergency response

The competition and joint exercise brought together emergency medical teams from Hong Kong, Macao, the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and Yangjiang.

The teams participated in a series of challenging tasks designed to simulate real-life emergency scenarios with a "competition + practical exercise + teaching" model, which included a 6-kilometer trek with heavy equipment, theoretical assessments, and practical tasks such as trauma management and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

On March 6, the teams competed in the field, where they had to complete four major tasks: theoretical exams, multiple-trauma management, equipment configuration, and CPR. On the next day, the event shifted to a teaching competition, where each team's professional instructors delivered lectures on pre-hospital emergency care, medical rescue, and public health education.

Launching a joint mechanism for future collaboration

The event also featured the launch of a collaboration mechanism, namely the Hong Kong-Macao- Hengqin-Zhuhai-Zhongshan-Jiangmen-Yangjiang Health and Emergency Rescue Coordination Mechanism. This marks the beginning of deeper cooperation among the seven regions in healthcare and emergency response, signaling a collective effort to enhance the quality of emergency medical services in the GBA.

The event was supported by the Health Commission of Guangdong Province, with Deputy Director Song Tie and other officials attending the event. Song Tie expressed hope that the participating regions would learn from each other and improve their emergency response capabilities, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in advancing emergency medical rescue in the region.

A step toward a healthier GBA

Taking this event as a springboard, the integration of the GBA is further facilitated, and health cooperation among Hengqin, Hong Kong, Macao, and neighboring cities is strengthened, with the goal of creating a unified health community in the GBA, focusing on talent exchange, technological innovation, and coordinated development.

The joint exercise and competition not only enhanced the emergency response capabilities of the participating regions but also laid the foundation for future cooperation. The event highlighted the importance of regional collaboration in healthcare, which is crucial for the high-quality development of the GBA.