Current Conditions

The lack in multi-lingual medical practitioners, and the medical treatment methods, culture, management system, and insurance scheme, have contributed to the fact that the diversified health care needs of Beijing-based foreigners were not fulfilled, said Zhang Chunxiu, deputy chief of government of Chaoyang District, Beijing.

In Chaoyang, populated by foreign embassies and companies, the number of registered residents with overseas citizenship was over 60,000, or half of that total number in Beijing.

Currently, there are only a very limited number of medical organizations with professional medical service for foreigners in China, according to officials.

Statistics showed that among over 6,400 registered medical organizations in Beijing, less than 20 are able to serve foreigners, including only two top level hospitals, the China-Japan Friendship Hospital and Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

Less than 200 doctors can provide medical services with multi-languages for foreigners, whose number stood at 110,000 in the capital city.

Further, only 20 of Beijing's hospitals accepted payment through commercial medical insurance schemes which are popular outside China.