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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. |
