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.