Shanghai’s efforts to build a diversified healthcare ecosystem by introducing high-quality international medical resources took another significant step with the recent opening of Parkway Medical Center Xintiandi, part of IHH Healthcare, one of Asia’s leading multinational healthcare services networks. The new center, with an investment of nearly CNY100 million and a floor area of 7,000 square meters, marks a new milestone in Shanghai’s efforts to boost medical services for international patients. Shanghai has China’s largest expatriate community an attracts one of the highest numbers of inbound travelers. “Given that Shanghai is a dynamic metropolis teeming with tourists, it presents an excellent opportunity for us to boost medical tourism,” said Prem Kumar Nair, Group CEO of IHH Healthcare, whose operating entity on the Chinese mainland is Parkway Shanghai. Nair said the ambulatory care center is designed to fill the gap between Parkway Shanghai’s two clinics and a full-service hospital in the municipality.
“This facility is a key part of IHH Healthcare’s global strategy, demonstrating our commitment to advancing an ‘out-of-hospital’ care model by bringing advanced day treatments and personalized outpatient services closer to where patients work and live, making high-quality professional care and advanced facilities more accessible,” he said during the center’s opening ceremony in Shanghai. Bringing together an international, multilingual medical team from 14 countries, the facility supports direct billing with over 60 international insurance providers. “We entered the Chinese market over two decades ago, drawn by the country’s opening-up drive. The number of people being able to afford private healthcare has kept rising, and the influx of foreign enterprises into China brought a large number of expats. This prompted us to further optimize our services,” Nair said. He added that one clinic located in Changning district’s Gubei area is scheduled for an upgrade next year, which will result in the expansion of services and the introduction of a multinational team of physicians.
In January, Shanghai announced it would encourage wholly foreign-invested hospitals to be established in the municipality’s key economic zones, regions where the biopharmaceutical industry gathers, and downtown districts with a high concentration of expat residents. “The pilot program was initiated to deepen opening-up in the field of foreign-owned hospitals, enhance the diversity of healthcare services, and improve the city’s business environment,” said a city government document. In March, DeltaHealth Hospital Shanghai received approval from the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission to operate as a wholly foreign-owned hospital, making it the first of its kind in the country to specialize in cardiovascular diseases, and filling a gap in specialized medical services provided by foreign investment in Shanghai. In March, Shanghai Renji Hospital and Singapore’s Raffles Medical Group announced a collaboration to establish a two-way channel for medical resources, injecting momentum into Shanghai’s ambition to become a hub for international medical tourism, the China Daily reports.
