Settling In 109developed country. Most of their
physicians are foreign or Chinese
who have practised medicine
overseas and returned. The
nurses and administrative staff
are local. The clinics may lack
some of the laboratory facilities,
equipment and emergency
capability of their international
counterparts. If this is the case,
they typically rely upon labs in Hong Kong to do analysis and
feedback results. They also rely on relationships with local
hospitals to access equipment and emergency services that
they don’t have in their own facilities.
The advantage of a foreign-managed facility is that you can
trust the doctors speak your language, are educated in health
care in a standard that you are accustomed to, and have
the experience required to be properly licensed. They
also have pharmacies attached that offer internationally
manufactured medicines that align with your home country
prescriptions. The disadvantage is that they are generalists
and lack the equipment and facilities to make timely
diagnosis in some cases.
The United Family Hospitals have facilities in both
Shanghai and Beijing. World Link Medical and Dental Centers
are also in Shanghai. There are an increasing number of
foreign-managed hospitals in both cities.
These hospitals will accept most major medical plans or
take credit cards and cash. They are more expensive than
local hospitals—an initial consultation can easily cost up to
US$ 100. But they offer memberships which provide services
at a discount.
Foreigner Units of Local Hospitals
Several local hospitals have foreigners or VIP units that offer
higher standards than normal Chinese hospitals and have
local staff that are English speaking. These hospitals can
vary widely in how well they meet foreigners’ expectations
for sanitation and health care standards.
It is prudent to check with
your closest consulate to
map hospitals and evacuation
services in advance of needing
them. International SOS has a
call center staffed 24-hours a
day with expatriate physicians
who are trained in remote
medicine; they offer member
telephone consultation services
and medical evacuation services
in case of an emergency.