The Shanghai East International Medical Center, located on the 12th floor of the Shanghai East Hospital, was launched by the hospital and US based Pacific Alliance Medical Center three months ago on a trial basis. The US company invested US$9.8 million in the project.

The hospital has 26 wards and 50 beds and currently receives more than 20 patients every day.

Targeting expatriates and wealthy residents, the medical center is equipped with not only modern facilities with human-oriented service but also has experienced doctors, including one from France.

“We are promoting the international ‘family doctor’ concept, which means a patient has his or her own doctor all the time, “ said Michael Heindel, CEO & general manager of East International. “For special diseases o surgeries, we invited local specialists to cooperation with our doctors to conduct proper treatment.”

Two more foreign doctors, one each from the United States and Australia, will arrive before the center’s official inauguration. It has some 20 local staff, including doctors and nurses.

However, the service does not come cheap. The registration payment for outpatient service varies from 500 yuan (US$60) to 1,500 yuan, while local hospitals only charge between 10 yuan and 100 yuan. The cots for surgery is also 5-6 times more than that of local hospitals.

“We are not worried that the cost, since it is still cheaper, compared with to countries and regions like Singapore and Hong Kong. Heidel said.

At present, there are more than 20 JV medical facilities in the city, but all of them are clinics and only provide outpatient services or specialized treatment for face-lift, gynecology and obstetrics and dental care.

These JV clinics cater to about 60,000 expats in the city. “I believe my three children from Chile to Shanghai, where my husband works, early this year. At first, I was worried about the medical service. Now I feel confident after visiting some joint venture facilities here,’ said a woman named Chen.

Local hospitals have been feeling the heat from competitions since the city government said it welcomed more JV and private hospitals to meet people’s demands.

Medical and Dental Facilities for Shanghai's Expatriate

There are expatriate medical and dental facilities in Shanghai; the physicians are either expatriates themselves or have been trained in another country. If your condition cannot be treated by these clinics, you'll be evaluated further and either referred to a specialist Hong Kong, or to the "foreigners" clinic in one of the local hospitals. The doctors in these foreigner clinics may speak some English.

In the event of a medical emergency, you may have a long wait for an ambulance. You can usually catch a taxi in just a few minutes in Shanghai.

It's a good idea to bring a copy of your medical records and a year's supply of any prescription drugs with you to Shanghai.

Both World Link and Sino-Canadian have dental clinics. Check to see what dental services they provide. World Link does have a program available for dental braces, and brings a specialist in on certain days of the month. If you have very young children, bring a supply of fluoride with you; the bottled water everyone drinks in China is not fluorinated.

Globalsurance has extensive knowledge of international medical insurance for expats living all over the world including Shanghai, China. We are here to help you choose the most suitable Shanghai International Health Insurance plan that is best suited to your needs.

Globalsurance is an independent medical and international health insurance advisor. We offer free quotations and advice to clients throughout the World. If you are planning to travel or live abroad, we can offer you advice to match your international health insurance needs.