Guangdong Launches Pilot Program with 25 International Medical Hospitals

On March 30, authorities in the southern province of Guangdong approved the initial batch of 25 hospitals to serve as pilots for international medical services.

Most of these hospitals are situated in the Pearl River Delta region and include renowned public hospitals, trusted traditional Chinese medicine centers, and premium private facilities, the provincial government announced during a press conference on March 27.

Access to international medical services is limited to patients covered by global commercial insurance or those paying out of pocket, as these services aren’t refundable through China’s basic health insurance system. Each hospital will set its own pricing for these specialized services.

There will be a clear separation between routine medical care and international services within these hospitals. Medical staff must meet their outpatient consultation quotas in the standard care departments before taking on international patients.

According to reports from local health officials, the number of foreign nationals seeking treatment in Guangdong increased over 20 percent last year from 2023, with inpatient cases soaring by 76 percent.

Fosun Chancheng International Medical Center (FIMC), affiliated with Foshan Fosun Chancheng Hospital, officially launched on March 28. It is the flagship healthcare facility of Fosun International, a private Chinese conglomerate involved in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and other industries.

Pursuing international medical services offers both opportunities and obstacles for hospitals. Huang Jian, head of urology at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University—one of the 25 pilot institutions—shared insights during a roundtable discussion held to celebrate FIMC’s opening.

He emphasized the importance of promoting the international reputation of Chinese hospitals’ medical expertise, especially in developing nations and regions, by offering tailored services that address the unique needs of patients from different backgrounds.

“We are confident in China’s healthcare sector’s quality and affordability,” said Xu Zhiwei, director of the international affairs department at Ruijin Hospital’s Pancreatic Disease Center, which is involved in establishing the Pancreatic Disease Collaborative Treatment Center at FIMC.

Despite this confidence, he highlighted that enhancing service quality is crucial to encouraging more international patients to choose China for treatment.

FIMC has been expanding its international services for six years, serving over 20,000 overseas patients from 124 countries and regions in the past three years alone. It offers a full range of medical care, including outpatient, inpatient, health screenings, and rehabilitation, providing comprehensive services for foreign visitors.

To attract more international patients, FIMC has set up overseas offices in countries such as Bangladesh and Indonesia, Hu Hang, chairman of FIMC, explained during an interview.

Additionally, the hospital has established dedicated channels for diagnosis and treatment with leading medical institutions in Hong Kong. Thirteen licensed doctors from the region are authorized to practice temporarily at the hospital. Regular multidisciplinary collaborations between Chinese and U.S. medical institutions also occur, Hu added.

Challenges in the international healthcare sector include differing payment standards and service procedures. Hu noted that FIMC must continually improve its processes and work with insurance providers to develop a seamless, high-standard international medical service system that meets global expectations in infrastructure, technology, and patient care.