Could medical care help cure China’s services trade deficit?
The speed, efficiency and affordability of treatment in China is attracting foreign patients, but some bottlenecks need to be cleared
Chinese demand for overseas schooling, holidays and medical treatment has contributed to a persistent deficit in the country’s services trade, but signs of a tentative counter-current are emerging as a growing stream of foreign patients heads to China.
While patients in the United States or Europe may wait months to secure their first appointment with a specialist, an entire medical journey can be compressed into just a few days in Shanghai, Beijing and other Chinese megacities.
The contrast has become a trending topic on Chinese social media platforms as a rising number of foreign patients praise the speed, efficiency and affordability of medical treatment in China.
“It’s China speed,” said Wu Peng, a doctor specialising in orthopaedics and sports medicine at Shanghai 10th People’s Hospital.
His most recent foreign patient, an American with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, took just a week to progress from initial consultation and imaging to reconstruction surgery and a post-operative check-up.
“Chinese doctors have extensive experience, and treatment here is far more affordable,” Wu said.