The public health development of Zhongshan is characterized by low input, wide coverage and great efficiency. By the end of 2007, there have been 356 medical and health-care institutions, including 3 Third Grade Class A hospitals, 3 Second Grade Class A hospitals and 17 First Grade Class A hospitals. The average life expectancy has reached 78.05, higher than the life expectancy standard of 75 in a well-off society.

Zhongshan People’s hospital is a Third Grade Class A comprehensive modern hospital, integrating medical treatment, prevention & health care, scientific research and education. It is also the first prefecture-level hospital in China with a post-doctoral scientific research station.

Zhongshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine is a Third Grade Class A comprehensive hospital, integrating medical treatment, education, scientific research, prevention & health care. It is also a national model hospital of TCM.

With modern equipment and complete medical departments, the Bo’ai Hospital, covering an area of nearly 13 thousand square meters, is a Third Grade Class A hospital specializing in maternal and child health, and integrating medical treatment, prevention & health care and education.

The public health service system, with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Health Bureau as principal parts, covers the districts and towns of Zhongshan.

Ever since 2000, the construction of the rural (community) health service networks has been strengthened, as is demonstrated in the fact that every administrative village has one community health care station. Rural cooperative medical service has gradually changed from the village-level arrangement to a new kind of cooperative medical service, which, up to now, has enlisted 808, 000 citizens. 98.9% of the rural residents have participated in medical insurance, which covers all the 24 districts and towns and includes all the administrative villages.

With 66 ambulances and 28 first aid stations affiliated to it, Zhongshan 120 First Aid Center serves as a first aid network covering the whole city.

In 1995, Zhongshan successfully became a National Sanitary City. In support for building a new socialist countryside, she spares no efforts to launch the hygiene campaign in the rural areas, which greatly improved the rural hygienic environment. At present, there are 10 national sanitary towns, 14 provincial sanitary towns and 165 provincial sanitary villages.

Ever since 1998, a total of 276, 000 Zhongshan citizens participated in Blood Donation without Repayment, donating 49.28 tons of blood. For successive eight years, the clinical demand of blood has been met, and Zhongshan has been awarded the title of “Advanced City for Blood Donation without Repayment” for four times.