First helipad built in China's capital

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 ◆ First helipad built in China's capital

Residents of the Chinese capital in need of emergency services will soon benefit from a recently-completed helipad at the Beijing Friendship Hospital.

The rooftop landing pad was constructed on a new outpatient building. With a steel structure, the 27 m-by-27 m pad is to date the only rooftop parking area for aircraft approved by civil aviation authorities in Beijing, according to sources with the project's contractor.

The hospital's new outpatient building is the first among its counterparts in Beijing to be designed by a foreign company.

Founded in 1952, the Beijing Friendship Hospital is one of the city's most prestigious hospitals. The helicopter first-aid services will be offered at the Olympic Games scheduled to be held in the Chinese capital in 2008.