5G technology enables the full use of limited medical manpower and equipment and promotes remote medical services in aspects such as disease diagnosis, monitoring and treatment, according to a report on smart healthcare released in July.

In fact, this technology has already shown some results in the medical field. For example, in September, doctors from the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital controlled robotic arms from afar in an experimental surgery using a 5G network. The robotic arms worked accurately and effectively in the one-hour-long operation with a communication delay of only 20 to 40 milliseconds.

Ever since 2016, China telecommunication giant Huawei has begun research into the application of 5G' in the field of healthcare. On the other hand, remote consultation and outpatient services, diagnosis as well as training are ready for commercial use.

5G makes possible remote medical consultation and AR ward rounds, greatly improving efficiency in the process of medical treatment and hospitalization, said Li Xin, Chief Marketing Officer with Huawei's DIS product line. Li explained that residents from remote areas don't always have easy access to the medial experts in big hospitals limited by geographical and economic conditions.

Back in April, 2018, the State Council proposed in an official paper a series of policies to encourage Internet to be employed in the development of healthcare.

This September, more than 30 hospitals and the China Association of Medical Equipment have joined forces with Chinese telecommunication operators such as China Telecom as well as Huawei to establish standards regarding China's first 5G hospital network.

Lu Qingjun, director of the National Telemedicine and Connected Health Center, said the standard will help ensure the construction of a high-quality and reliable 5G network among the hospitals and provide technological support for remote medical services.