Zhongda 5th Hospital offers foreigners quality TLC

Expatriates in Zhuhai began accessing high-end medical services at the Phoenix International Medical Center of the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University on Dec 25.

The Phoenix organization at what is also known as Zhongda 5th Hospital says what is initially being offered are "soft" operations. These include comfortable amenities, an "out-patient department with multi-disciplinary collaboration, high-end and integrated wards, customized obstetrics, gerontology, and other clinical departments," according to a recruitment notice on the hospital website.

First-class out-patient care is available for treatment of miscellaneous, difficult, and critical diseases. For inpatients there are 32 beds in two wards. The center also provides physical examinations, international patient transfers, and around-the-clock emergency treatment.

According to a spokesperson, one can use a telemedicine platform to make an appointment or even to consult online with nationally and provincially accredited expert professionals.

Quality treatment at the Phoenix International Medical Center [Photo by Zhao Zi / Zhuhai Daily]

Payment by direct billing is a highlight. In the system, Zhongda 5th Hospital will send statements directly to health insurance companies for payment, which saves patients the trouble of receiving a bill and filling the claim themselves. It eliminates the need for patients to handle the initial interaction with their insurance providers, according to a staff member. All a patient needs to supply is a designated insurance card. However, it does not eliminate the need for them to pay additional costs not covered by their insurance agreement.

Sixteen domestic and overseas insurance companies and third-party administrators have partnered with the hospital in the insurance field. They include Management Science for Health (MSH), International SOS Pte Ltd, Shanghai WellBe Insurance Brokers Ltd, Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Generali China Life Insurance Co Ltd (GCL), Medilink-Global UK Ltd, and ICBC-AXA Life Insurance Co Ltd. The first partnership was formed in 2009.

Advice on settlement of insurance claims and insurance application assistance is readily offered to patients from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao, and also Japan, Europe, and the United States.

The establishment of the medical institute came in response to increasing demand by overseas patients, said a hospital manager. Under the new procedures they can be serviced according to their own requirements, a symbol of the more international city Zhuhai is becoming, he added.

Statistics show that Zhongda 5th Hospital receives more than 7,000 foreign patients each year; most of them from the United States, Europe, and Japan.

The hospital is located on the far east end of Meihua Road in New Xiangzhou and overlooks the Zhuhai Opera House on Yeli Island.