IN WAITING: During a track and field competition hosted at the Bird's Nest on May 22, two ambulances from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital are on duty at an exit of the stadium (WEI YAO)

Four km from the National Stadium, the main Olympic venue also known as the Bird's Nest, lies the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, the only hospital contracted to treat athletes, coaches and referees during the Games in August.

"The Bird's Nest is within a 10 minutes' drive of the hospital," said Xu Shuo, Director of the International Medical Department. "Because of improved traffic conditions during the Olympics, the drive between the hospital and any Olympic venues in Beijing will be no more than half an hour."

The China-Japan Friendship Hospital, a large comprehensive modern hospital jointly built by China and Japan, was founded in October 1984 with aid from the Japanese Government. The hospital is under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Health. The International Medical Department was set up more than one decade ago to provide medical services to foreigners.

So far, the hospital has treated patients from more than 100 countries. When Beijing bid for the 2008 Olympics, the hospital was evaluated by the International Olympic Committee and earned a perfect score.

The hospital has been preparing meticulously for the Olympics. To accommodate the needs of athletes it has made adjustments to its existing facilities. For instance, the doors have been expanded to 2.5 meters high and 1.2 meters wide, and a few super-sized beds have been added to meet the special needs of plus-sized athletes. "We must have all this ready just in case," said Peng Mingqiang, Vice President of the hospital.

"Doping is a vexing problem for athletes. During treatment, we must avoid the list of banned drugs in sport released by the International Olympic Committee," said Peng. To make sure nothing goes wrong, even vegetables and staples used in the hospital canteens will all be purchased from contracted Olympic suppliers. This April, the Beijing Food and Drug Administration issued a circular, requiring drug stores in the vicinity of Olympic venues to label "sensitive" drugs for the benefit of athletes.

During the Olympics, sport stars from many countries will arrive in Beijing. The hospital has made specific arrangements to protect the privacy of these celebrities.

"The International Medical Department is separated from other areas and has a separate entrance," said Peng. "Even the doctors and nurses are not allowed to disturb the athletes by, for instance, asking for signatures." It is said that a heavily guarded special clinic will be open during the Olympics that will be off limits to the media.

"In addition to in-house services, the hospital has established a 200-strong team, including 50 doctors and nurses, to provide on-site medical services at the Bird's Nest," Peng said.