Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital

Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital
Chinese: 南京鼓樓醫院
New South Expansion Building of the Hospital
Geography
LocationNo. 321 Zhongshan Road, Gulou District, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, China
Organisation
TypeGeneral Hospital (Grade A)
Affiliated universityNanjing University Medical School
Services
Beds3,500
History
Founded1892
Links
Websiteglcs.demo.71nc.com/en/index.aspx

Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, shortly Drum Tower Hospital or Gulou Hospital, is an affiliated hospital of the Nanjing University Medical School. Founced in 1892 as one of the earliest Western medical hospitals in China, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital is now a comprehensive tertiary hospital with 3,500 patient beds and over 6,000 employees. Its leading research areas include Oncology and Carcinogenesis, Clinical Sciences, Medical Biotechnology, Cardiovascular Medicine and Haematology, and Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences. In addition, the hospital has active exchanges and cooperations with international medical institutions. [1][2][3][4][5][6]

History

In 1886, William Edward Macklin, a Canadian missionary and medical doctor of the American Christian Church, was sent to China to carry out missionary and medical activities in Nanjing. He then purchased a piece of land near the Drum Tower to build a hospital. In 1892, a two-storey Western-style building was completed, which was called the "Macklin Hospital" by local people. The building was in the style of the American colonial era, with exposed brick walls, constructed of blue bricks and inlaid with red bricks. The facade featured two rows of round arched windows, and a row of double-pitched dormer windows on the sloping roof.[7][2][4]

Macklin Hospital subsequently became a teaching hospital of the University of Nanking. In 1913, it was officially united with the University of Nanking to form the University of Nanking Medical College.[4]

Between 1917 and 1924, Drum Tower Hospital was expanded with wards, operating rooms, and office buildings. Its name changed several times: in 1942, it was renamed the "Nanjing Medical Class Drum Tower Hospital" of the Japanese Association; in 1951, it became a public hospital and was renamed "Nanjing People's Drum Tower Hospital"; in 1972, it was renamed "Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital". In 1987, it became an affiliated hospital of Nanjing University School of Medicine. In 2014, it was officially named "Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital".[4]

In 2004, Nanjing Third Hospital (formerly Nanjing Railway Central Hospital) merged into Drum Tower Hospital.[8] In 2012, the Drum Tower Hospital South Expansion Project, with an investment of 1.1 billion yuan, was completed, increasing the hospital's beds to 2,400 and the total building area to 300,000 m2 (3,200,000 sq ft). The newly built outpatient and emergency building has a helicopter landing pad on its roof, allowing injured and sick personnel to be directly transported to the emergency room for rescue by helicopter.

In 2020, the Drum Tower Hospital was listed among the "Medical institutions that received the most public satisfaction".[9]

In August 2025, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital became the first medical institution in China to obtain World Stroke Organization's certification.[10] On December 26 of the same year, the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical Medical Research Institute was officially unveiled and put into use.[11]

Present situation

The Drum Tower Hospital is a major national medical center, managing 32 clinical departments. It is a comprehensive Grade A tertiary hospital with 3,500 patient beds and over 6,000 employees, and famous for anesthesiology, cardiology, cardio-thoracic, endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology, hepatobiliary surgery, immunology, obstetrics and gynecology, oncology, orthopedics, pathology, respiratory, spine surgery and urology, etc.[2][6] Its leading research areas include Oncology and Carcinogenesis, Clinical Sciences, Medical Biotechnology, Cardiovascular Medicine and Haematology, and Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences.[1][12]

The hospital also has active academic exchanges and cooperative research programs with international medical institutions in the United States, Japan, Australia, Germany, Canada and Hong Kong.[2][5]

Buildings

The former site of the Macklin Hospital on the main campus of the hospital was listed among the national key cultural relics protection units in 2019.[4]

Phase II of Drum Tower Hospital
Drum Tower Hospital New Building (South Expansion Project), South Plaza
Drum Tower Hospital New Building (South Expansion Project), North Internal Atrium
Drum Tower Hospital New Building (South Expansion Project), North External Courtyard
Former Site of Macklin Hospital, Statue of Founder William Edward Macklin
Former Site of Macklin Hospital, Entrance to the Ward Building
One of the Early Buildings at the Former Site of Macklin Hospital: Ward Building
Another Early Building at the Former Site of Macklin Hospital: Operating Room and Office Building

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Drum Tower Hospital (南京市鼓楼医院 南京大学 医学院 附属鼓楼医院), China; Time frame: 1 November 2024 - 31 October 2025". Nature Index. Springer Nature. 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d "Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital". China Daily. April 11, 2019.
  3. ^ "Introduction". Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  4. ^ a b c d e "A brief introduction to Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital". Accscience. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  5. ^ a b "Global Collaborative Health Care Consulting: Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital: Bringing Best Practices in Physician Training to China". Johns Hopkins Medicine. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  6. ^ a b "Drum Tower Hospital". Top Hospitals. G-MedTech. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  7. ^ Liu Xianjue and Wang Xin (2008). Modern Architecture of Jiangsu. Nanjing: Jiangsu Science and Technology Press. ISBN 9787534557170.
  8. ^ 关于同意注销南京市第三医院的批复(宁卫医字[2004]第9号)(Approval for the Cancellation of Nanjing Third Hospital (Ninjing Health Medical Document [2004] No. 9)). Nanjing Municipal People's Government. 2004-02-20.
  9. ^ "2020年度群众满意的医疗机构/科室/医务工作者等名单公布 (List of Medical Institutions/Departments/Medical Workers Recognized by the Public in 2020 Released)". People.cn (in Chinese). 2020-12-27.
  10. ^ "南京鼓楼医院成中国首家国际高级卒中中心,引领卒中管理与国际接轨 (Nanjing Gulou Hospital becomes China's first international advanced stroke center, leading the way in aligning stroke management with international standards)". 现代快报 (Modern Express) (in Chinese). 2025-08-07.
  11. ^ "南京鼓楼医院临床医学研究院正式启用 打造区域医学科技创新核心引擎 (The Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical Medical Research Institute was officially launched, aiming to become a core engine for regional medical technology innovation)" (in Chinese). 凤凰网江苏 (Phoenix Network Jiangsu). December 26, 2025.
  12. ^ "关于确定南京鼓楼医院等44家医院评审结果的公示 (Public Notice Regarding the Confirmation of the Review Results for 44 Hospitals Including Nanjing Gulou Hospital)" (in Chinese). Jiangsu Commision of Health. 2022-10-10.