Dr Allen Wu (right), president of Jiahui Health, talks with Dr Oswaldo Ponce.
Local international hospitals have hailed Shanghai's ambition to boost international medical tourism and improve the high-end healthcare industry.
Dr Allen Wu, president of Jiahui Health, the biggest comprehensive international hospital in the city, said he is confident that the policy is a good measure to promote Shanghai's fame as a medical highland.
"Jiahui can gain more opportunity and play a more important role," he said.
In the past seven years, Jiahui International Hospital and its clinics have become a renowned brand among expatriates in the city, as well as those traveling here for treatment.
"Jiahui has offered international standard service to over 500,000 families from over 180 countries," Wu said. "Among them, 30 percent are from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, and foreign countries, accounting for nearly half of overseas residents in Shanghai.
"In the past seven years, over 100 thousands of expatriate people have visited Jiahui for health consultations and service. That has greatly surpassed other private hospitals in the city.
"The new policy, which encourages international medical tourism, is more rather an opportunity than a competition for Jiahui. Because we are always ready to compete by improving ourselves all the time," Wu added.
In the scheme to boost international medical tourism, the Shanghai Health Commission designated 13 leading public hospitals and 20 private hospitals as pilot facilities, which, especially the public facilities, have outstanding medical capabilities, innovative needs, and foreign service experience.
The criteria includes a good infrastructure and the medical capability to provide service in line with international standards, as well as bilingual medical abilities, and cooperation with international medical insurance companies.
Jiahui, which is among the 20 private hospitals, has treated patients from Russia, New Zealand, Singapore, the United States and the United Kingdom for health management, cancer treatment, and complicated surgery. Compared to the hospitals in the developed countries, Jiahui offers international service with same standard and competitive prices.
Under the leadership of Dr. Vicky LEE, executive director of Jiahui International Cancer Center and chief of Medical Oncology, who has over 30 years of experience in the cancer research and clinical care field, Car-T therapy is also one of the most well-known treatment at Jiahui International Hospital.
Dr Vicky Lee (Executive Director of Jiahui International Cancer Center and Chief of Medical Oncology) and Ms Lyn She-Wu (a patient received Car-T therapy at Jiahui International Hospital). Dr Lee has been working in hematology & oncology for over 20 years in USA and is an internationally well-known expert in hematology, oncology, cancer risk assessment and palliative care.
"Many patients came all the way to Jiahui for Car-T therapy, where 80 percent are expatriate patients. They expressed their gratitude for our high-end service, international standards, good treatment, quick service process, and competitive price," Wu said. "It is also the major attraction for Shanghai's international medical tourism. Apart from those coming all the way for high-end surgery and complicated oncology treatment, we have also received patients with accidental injuries who have flown to Jiahui for emergency surgery due to the long wait abroad."
Dr Qiu Ling, Chief of Family Medicine and Health Management Center, checks a patient’s ear. Dr Qiu is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine in Family Medicine, and has worked as a family physician in the US for more than 15 years.
Wu said he is confident in Jiahui's stable development although other hospitals are competing in the high-end healthcare market.
He said communicating and establishing trustworthy relations with patients is crucial in Jiahui, as doctors there not only treat disease, but treat people as well.
Only with comprehensive and adequate communication, the doctor can know more about the need of the patient and provide personalized treatment.
"At Jiahui, each patient is taken to the room by a nurse. As a doctor, I must knock on the door, introduce myself and ask if you are … my opening remark is always 'How are you doing?' Then I will listen carefully to my patient without interrupting him or her. After that, I offer a professional consultation and service, mental support, and other services," Wu said.
"For people choosing Shanghai as a destination for international medical tourism, we can offer comprehensive treatment, emergency care, and high-end health checks, multidiciplinary service, and advanced oncology treatment.
Dr Pudasaini Bigyan checks a patient in the emergency department.
"While bringing patients advanced service and technology, we will share our value and advantages in international medical tourism; actively attract overseas medical talent; expand international medical exchanges and patient transfers home and abroad; and help introduce more new medicine, new devices and new technology to achieve international-standard medical service," Wu said.
