### Basic Information of the Department The Obstetrics Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University has a long history. In 1953, Sun Yat-sen University School of Medicine (South China Medical College), Lingnan University School of Medicine (Boji Hospital), and Guanghua Medical College merged to form Sun Yat-sen Medical College. At the same time, to facilitate future disciplinary development and expansion, gynecology and obstetrics were separated into distinct departments. Over the decades, through the persistent efforts and dedication of several generations, and with strong support from the hospital, our Obstetrics Department has consistently been one of the most comprehensively capable and fully specialized departments among general hospitals in Guangdong Province. Our Obstetrics Department comprises outpatient clinics and inpatient wards. The inpatient wards include three major areas: the maternity ward, the delivery room, and the baby-friendly ward, covering a total floor area of 2,411 square meters. In addition to general outpatient services, the obstetrics outpatient clinics offer specialized clinics such as High-Risk Pregnancy Clinic, Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Clinic, Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy Clinic, Pregnancy Complicated with Medical and Surgical Diseases Clinic, Prenatal Nutrition Clinic, and Postpartum High-Risk Clinic. Special emphasis is placed on managing pregnant women with gestational diabetes, with the establishment of a day ward for education and counseling. The department has been repeatedly recognized as an advanced unit for medical quality and service excellence and was designated a National Key Clinical Specialty by the Ministry of Health in 2010. The staffing structure of our Obstetrics Department is well-balanced, with clear hierarchical levels and an appropriate nurse-to-physician ratio. The department currently has 18 physicians, including 2 senior consultants (professor level), 4 associate senior consultants, 5 mid-level physicians, and 7 junior physicians. Over 80% hold master's or doctoral degrees, possessing strong professional backgrounds, training, and extensive experience. There are 59 nurses, 33.89% of whom hold a bachelor's degree or higher. One nurse participated in the specialized nurse training program jointly organized by the Guangdong Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission and the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, obtaining a certificate as a certified midwifery specialist—one of only about 10 such specialists in Guangdong Province. Personnel at all levels have clearly defined responsibilities, work collaboratively, and maintain high ethical standards, earning repeated commendations from the hospital and recognition from patients. ### Clinical Work Our Obstetrics Department has 75 open beds, including 5 VIP beds; 23 observation beds in the delivery room, and 5 delivery beds. With 77 medical and nursing staff, the department handled over 3,500 deliveries last year, with an average annual outpatient volume exceeding 70,000 visits. The department possesses strong overall capabilities, with standardized diagnosis and treatment protocols for common obstetric conditions and acute critical illnesses. It independently performs routine clinical techniques expected of a tertiary hospital, such as vaginal operative delivery (forceps, vacuum extraction, breech assistance), cesarean section, labor analgesia, uterine packing for hemostasis, preterm birth prediction, first- and second-trimester maternal serum screening, amniocentesis with chromosomal karyotyping, and second-trimester ultrasound screening. The diagnosis and management of twins and gestational diabetes mellitus are at a leading level domestically. The department excels in rescuing patients with complex, critical obstetric conditions (pregnancy complications). Leveraging our hospital's status as a top-tier comprehensive institution with over a century of history and profound cultural heritage, the department benefits from comprehensive technical strength that is leading within the province, along with well-established collaboration and consultation mechanisms with related departments, ensuring robust multidisciplinary consultation and treatment capabilities. In terms of new technologies, our department offers fetal intrauterine diagnosis and treatment techniques; postpartum hemorrhage management including B-lynch suture, selective vascular embolization, and balloon tamponade; doula-assisted labor pain relief; and maternal life support technologies such as invasive respiratory and circulatory monitoring. Additionally, the department implements a series of services promoting maternal and infant health, including prenatal education classes, breathing techniques for pain relief training, postpartum pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation, and newborn touch. Currently, our Obstetrics Department serves as the "Pregnancy Complicated with Medical Diseases Treatment Center" under the Guangdong Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission's Maternal and Child Health Project, the lead unit for the Guangdong Provincial Gestational Diabetes Study Group, the drafting unit for the Ministry of Health's industry standard on gestational diabetes diagnosis and management, and a demonstration unit for high-quality nursing care. Through the efforts of all medical and nursing staff, patient satisfaction has consistently remained above 95%, even as the workload has increased annually. ### Scientific Research The department has stable, clearly defined research directions closely integrated with clinical work. These include the diagnosis and management of twins and gestational diabetes mellitus, evaluation of intrapartum fetal monitoring techniques, and prevention of postpartum hemorrhage. Over the past three years, the department has secured 13 national-level and 33 provincial-level research grants. It has published 198 papers in domestic and international journals, including 78 indexed in SCI. Academic exchanges and collaborative research relationships have been established with numerous renowned hospitals and institutions both domestically and internationally, including Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Hong Kong's Queen Mary Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in the USA. ### Talent Development Despite a heavy clinical workload, the department places great emphasis on education. In terms of continuing education, it hosts several national-level programs, including "New Advances in Complications of Complex Multiple Pregnancies and Their Management," "Insulin Treatment Strategies and Clinical Application in Gestational Diabetes," and "Obstetric Nursing Safety Management and Countermeasures." The department has invited over 20 renowned domestic and international experts for lectures, hosts approximately 50 visits from domestic and international universities and hospitals annually, and accepts over 20 visiting scholars from other provinces each year. Faculty members frequently give lectures or teach at various national training courses and professional workshops. The department has trained 30 standardized residents, achieving a 100% pass rate. Additionally, the department undertakes teaching responsibilities for the 8-year all-English program, the 7-year all-English program, the 5-year international student all-English program, and the 5-year undergraduate clinical medicine and laboratory medicine programs (including theoretical lectures, clerkships, and internships). In the past five years, the department has trained 22 graduate students in its specialty, including 3 doctoral students and 19 master's students. Currently, there are 6 enrolled graduate students (3 doctoral and 3 master's students). Most graduates are engaged in clinical medicine and play key roles in their respective institutions.