The Shanghai No 2 Medical University announced yesterday it will launch China's first bachelor's degree for medical social work, a new major, as early as 2005.

　　The academic move is expected to solve the shortage of such professionals, officials told a seminar on medical social work yesterday.

　　Sponsored by the Shanghai Children's Medical Center and the US-based Project HOPE, the three-day seminar has attracted experts from the United States, Australia, Hong Kong and Taiwan Province."China's hospitals haven't realized the importance of medical social work, which may hamper the effect of diagnosis and treatment," Shen Xiaoming, president of Shanghai No 2 Medical University, told the seminar. "There is no professional course on the major in domestic medical universities."

　　The university has sent two doctors to study at Hong Kong University for a master's degree on social medical work. They will be among the faculty for the new major when they finish their studies, Shen said.

　　According to experts such workers assist patients and their families with health-related and psychological problems.For instance, they can help patients find legal resources and financial aid when they have difficulties in treatment. They also help in cases, such as child abuse, homelessness and drug abuse, experts said.

　　In fact, doctors, nurses, medical technicians and medical social workers are the four necessary staff in a hospital. In the West, the number of medical social workers is the same as doctors.However, only a few local hospitals provide medical social work at present."We are the bridge between patients, their families, society and hospital. We help patients and families work through the changes that occur as the loved ones' health declines," said Ji Qingying at Shanghai Children's in charge of medical social work.

　　Ji cited the work with parents whose children are found with leukemia. "We know their first reaction. We calm them, and tell themswheresto find the matched bone marrow donation and how to take care of the kids," Ji said.

　　"I was so anxious when I was hospitalized to deliver my baby. A medical social worker, a middle-aged woman, accompanied me all the time," said a woman named Zhang who gave birth to a boy at Shanghai International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital recently. "With such support, I did not feel so lonely."