XIAMEN -- Powered by technologies such as virtual reality (VR), 5G and cloud computing, a training platform for interventional cardiology was launched Wednesday in a hospital in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province.

The platform was jointly developed by Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital, affiliated with Xiamen University, China Telecom and Abbott, among others. It enables live streaming of interventional cardiology procedures, skill training sessions and remote consultations, said Wang Yan, head of the hospital.

Doctors and medical experts can observe operations from all angles via mobile phones or tablet computers, or wear VR glasses that allow them to "scrub in" from anywhere through the platform.

Cardiovascular disease is still one of the primary causes of death in China. With the overall medical development, many grassroots hospitals are able to carry out routine cardiovascular intervention operations, which has greatly improved the success rate of treatment for cardiovascular emergencies such as acute myocardial infarction.

However, most grassroots hospitals still face challenges in conducting interventional surgeries for difficult and complex cardiovascular cases due to a dearth of talent and medical equipment, said Wang.

As the first hospital in Fujian to be fully covered by the 5G network, Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital has been exploring the integration of emerging technologies with healthcare scenarios for years.

"We hope the platform can spread the hospital's experience in interventional surgeries with the assistance of information technology --helping train more interventional cardiologists and boosting international academic exchanges," Wang said.