- from
Consular Information Sheet of US Department of State
MEDICAL FACILITIES AND HEALTH INFORMATION:
Western -style medical facilities with international staffs are
available in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and a few other large
cities. Many other hospitals in major Chinese cities have
so-called VIP wards (gaogan bingfang). These feature reasonably
up-to-date medical technology and physicians who are both
knowledgeable and skilled. Most VIP wards also provide medical
services to foreigners and have English-speaking doctors and
nurses. Most hospitals in China will not accept medical
insurance from the United States, with the exception of the
following hospitals, which are on the BlueCross BlueShield’s
worldwide network providers - overseas network hospitals’ list (
http://www.bcbs.com/bluecardworldwide/index.html): Hong Kong
Adventist Hospital, Beijing United Family Hospital, Beijing
Friendship Hospital, International Medical Center in Beijing,
and Peking Union Medical Center. Travelers will be asked to post
a deposit prior to admission to cover the expected cost of
treatment. Hospitals in major cities may accept credit cards for
payment. Even in the VIP/Foreigner wards of major hospitals,
however, American patients have frequently encountered
difficulty due to cultural and regulatory differences.
Physicians and hospitals have sometimes refused to supply
American patients with complete copies of their Chinese hospital
medical records, including laboratory test results, scans, and
x-rays.
Ambulances do
not carry sophisticated medical equipment. Injured or seriously
ill Americans may be required to take taxis or other immediately
available vehicles to the nearest major hospital rather than
waiting for ambulances to arrive. Generally, in rural areas,
only rudimentary medical facilities are available, often with
poorly trained medical personnel who have little medical
equipment and medications. Rural clinics are often reluctant to
accept responsibility for treating foreigners, even in emergency
situations.
SOS
International, Ltd., operates modern medical and dental clinics
and provides medical evacuation and medical escort services in
Beijing, Nanjing, Tianjin and Shekou, as well as 24hr Alarm
Centers in Beijing and Shanghai. Through clinics in Beijing (24
hours), Tianjin, Nanjing and Shekou, SOS offers international
standard family practice services, emergency medical services
and a range of clinical services.
For medical
emergencies anywhere in mainland China, Americans can call the
SOS International, Ltd., 24-hour "Alarm Center" in Beijing at
telephone (86)(10) 6462-9100 or in Shanghai at (86)(21)
5298-9538 for advice and referrals to local facilities. SOS
International Alarm Centers can also be contacted in Hong Kong
at telephone (852) 2428-9900 and in the United States at (215)
245-4707. For a full list of SOS locations and phone numbers,
consult the SOS website at
http://www.internationalsos.com.
BEIJING
Bayley & Jackson Beijing Medical Center
#7 Ritan Dong Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020
(86)(10) 8562-9998 Fax: (86)(10) 8561-4866
email:
info@bjhealthcare.com
Website:
www.bjhealthcare.com
Beijing United Family Hospital and Clinics
#2 Jiang Tai Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100016
(86)(10) 6433-3960 Fax: (86)(10) 6433-3963
Emergency Hotline: (86)(10) 6433-2345
Website:
www.unitedfamilyhospitals.com
Beijing United Family Clinic — Shunyi
Pinnacle Plaza , Unit # 818, Tian Zhu Real Estate Development
Zone, Shunyi District, 101312
(86)(10) 8046-5432 Fax: (86)(10) 8046-4383
Peking Union Medical Hospital
1 Shuai Fu Yuan, Dong Cheng District, Beijing 100730
Tel: (86)(10) 6529-5269(registration and information); (86)(10)
6529-5284 (24 hours); (86)(10) 6529 6114 (operator)
Modern Facilities with English speaking staff. Separate ward for
foreign patients.
SHANGHAI
World Link Shanghai
Clinics: Expatriate doctors and imported vaccines. Hotline:
(86)(21) 6385-9990
www.worldlink-shanghai.com. World Link Medical Centers
located at:
Shanghai Center Medical Center
1376 Nanjing Xi Lu Suite 203
Telephone: (86)(21) 6279-7688
Hong
Qiao Medical Center
2258 Hong Qiao Lu
Telephone: (86)(21) 6242-0909
Specialty Clinic
Lu Wan Hospital, 3rd Floor
170 Dan Shui Lu
Telephone: (86)(21) 6445-5999
Jin
Qiao Medical & Dental Center
51 Hong Feng Lu
Pudong
Tel: (86)(21) 5032-8288
Global Health Care
This is a Hong Kong invested facility with a strong cardiac risk
assessment focus.
Staffed by western physicians.
Shanghai Kerry Center
Room 301
1515 Nanjing West Rd
Tel: (86)(21) 5298-6339
Fudan
Vision
Managed by VisionHealthOne a Singapore health care company and
affiliated to Fudan Medical University. Staffed by Singapore and
western physicians.
Silver Tower
3 rd Floor
228 South Xizang Rd
Tel: (86)(21) 6334-3668
Shanghai United Family Hospital
1139 Xianxia Lu
Tel: (86)(21) 5133-1900
Emergency hotline: (86)(21) 5133-1999
www.unitedfamilyhospitals.com
Shanghai East International Medical Center
551 South Pudong Rd
Telephone: (86)(21) 5879-999
GlobalDoctor,
Ltd., has opened clinics staffed by English-speaking doctors
within the VIP wards of government-run hospitals in Chengdu,
Nanjing, and Beijing. There is also a clinic in Shenyang with a
24- hour emergency assistance hotline at (86)(24) 2433-0678.
GlobalDoctor can be reached by telephone from China at (86)(10)
8456-9191 or on the Internet at
http://www.eglobaldoctor.com .
Additional
information on medical providers specializing in treating
foreigners for general medical, dental and orthodontic problems
are available at
http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn.
Information
on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food
and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be
obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s
hotline for international travelers at (877) FYI-TRIP
(877-394-8747) or via the CDC’s Internet site at
http://www.cdc.gov/travel. For information about outbreaks
of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health
Organization’s (WHO) website at
http://www.who.int/en. Further health information for
travelers is available at
http://www.who.int/ith.
ALTERNATIVE MEDICAL TREATMENTS:
There have been increasing numbers of foreigners coming to China
to receive alternative medical treatments or procedures
prohibited in the United States relating specifically to
stem-cell research. Any person contemplating these treatments
should be fully aware of the risks of such procedures. The
treatments can be dangerous and untested. The results are not
guaranteed. In many instances, patients going for treatment
develop secondary infections that cannot be handled by these
facilities. They are transferred to hospitals for treatment and
are responsible for all additional costs, including repatriation
back to the United States. In some cases, these treatments have
resulted in death.
MEDICAL INSURANCE:
The Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with
their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to
confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it
will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation.
Please see our information on
medical insurance overseas. China has no public healthcare
system to provide for people without insurance or money. If you
become sick or injured, you will be expected to pay for your
bills, sometimes even before treatment is offered.
TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS:
While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road
conditions that differ significantly from those in the United
States. The information below concerning China is provided for
general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a
particular location or circumstance.
The rate of
traffic accidents in China, including fatal accidents, is among
the highest in the world. Driving etiquette in China is
developing. As a result, traffic is often chaotic, and
right-of-way and other courtesies are often ignored. Travelers
should note that cars and buses in the wrong lanes frequently
hit pedestrians and bicyclists.Pedestrians should always be
careful while walking near traffic. Road/traffic conditions are
generally safe if occupants of modern passenger vehicles wear
seatbelts. Most traffic accident injuries involve pedestrians or
cyclists who are involved in collisions or who encounter
unexpected road hazards (e.g., unmarked open manholes).
Foreigners with resident permits can apply for PRC driver
licenses; however, liability issues often make it preferable to
employ a local driver. Child safety seats are not widely
available in China. Americans who wish to ride bicycles in China
are urged to wear safety helmets meeting U.S. standards.
The number of
American citizens involved in serious and deadly traffic
accidents in Beijing is increasing. The Embassy strongly
encourages travelers to exercise special caution when crossing
streets in China’s cities as pedestrians do not have the
right-of-way. Please note that many taxi cabs do not have
functioning seatbelts for passengers.
All drivers
should be aware of the Chinese regulations regarding traffic
accidents. These include the requirement that drivers:
- Not move
their vehicles or disturb the scene of the accident unless and
until ordered to by the traffic police (in Shanghai, the
police now prefer that if the parties can reach agreement as
to who was at fault they move the vehicles out of the flow of
traffic.)
- Summon the
traffic police and wait at the scene until the police arrive
and complete their investigation.
If called to
an accident, the police may take 20 minutes or longer to arrive.
Once the police arrive, they will complete a preliminary
investigation and arrange a time for you to report to the police
station responsible for the accident scene. The police will
prepare a written report, in Chinese, describing the
circumstances of the accident. They will present the report to
you either at the scene, or more likely at the police station,
and ask you to sign it verifying the details of the accident. Do
not sign the report as is, unless your Chinese is good enough to
completely understand the report and you find it totally
accurate. If you either do not understand it or believe it is
partly or wholly inaccurate, you may either:
- Write a
disclaimer on the report to the effect that you cannot read
and understand the report and cannot attest to the accuracy
thereof, but are signing it because of the police requirement
that you do so, and then sign, or
- Write your
own version of the accident, in English, on the police form
and indicate that your signature only attests to the accuracy
of the English version.
Most
incidents (such as an accident) will draw a crowd. Drivers
should remain calm. A crowd will usually move in very close to
the accident and participants. In many cases the bystanders
consider themselves to be an ad hoc jury. They may call for
money, usually from RMB 100 to 1,000, to be paid by the party
they consider at fault. The amount is not necessarily relevant
to the amount of damage. A certain amount of bargaining is
normal, even at accidents involving two Chinese parties. Though
a crowd may seem threatening, crowd assaults on foreigners at
accidents have not been reported. If a traffic police booth is
nearby, you may wish to leave the vehicle and walk there to
await the arrival of the police accident team. Alternatively,
you may walk to a shop, restaurant, or other location nearby in
the immediate vicinity and wait for police.
You should
not leave the scene of an accident. Your actions may serve to
further incite the crowd if they perceive that you are fleeing
to evade responsibility for your share of blame or payment of
damages. The crowd may attempt to keep your vehicle at the
accident scene by standing in the way or blocking the roadway
with vehicles, bicycles and other objects.
Please refer
to our
Road Safety page for more information. Visit the website of
the country’s national tourist office and national authority
responsible for road safety at China National Tourist Bureau —
http://www.cnta.com/index.asp.
AVIATION SAFETY OVERSIGHT:
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed the
Government of China’s Civil Aviation Authority as being in
compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
aviation safety standards for oversight of China’s air carrier
operations. For more information, travelers may visit the FAA’s
internet web site at
http://www.faa.gov/safety/programs_initiatives/oversight/iasa.
- all the
information in this table is from Consular Information Sheet of
US Department of State, for you reference only. |
