Ask any
local or expat who has lived in Shanghai, the common consensus is that
this city offers a decent healthcare service and the good thing is that
it continues to improve. The private healthcare in the city are
primarily provided by foreign doctors who practice Western Medicine and
they represent the default healthcare providers for many expatriate
communities living here. As choices are varied, it is best that you do
some checking around prior to your departure to Shanghai on the
availability of medical care that best caters for yourself and your
family. In Shanghai, it is common to find medical facilities that are
linked to the various expatriate communities; nevertheless the depth and
breadth of individual medical facility will be dependent on factors such
as community size and local availability.
Naturally,
offering of Traditional Chinese Medicine (or TCM) is ubiquitous in
Shanghai. It represents a complimentary alternative to the expats based
here, other than the usual western medicine. This particular branch of
medicine has both its detractors as well as supporters; some would not
agree to its virtue but there are also some paying them a lot of credits
after benefitting from TCM. Massage service is also commonplace in
Shanghai but charges at clinics may vary significantly across as a
result of differing trainings and qualifications, as well as the depth
of service offered. Usually such massage clinics would incorporate
traditional Chinese medicine as part of their offerings; with a number
of them expanding their services to include manicure and pedicure, for
example.
Healthcare
Facilities in Shanghai
Due to
language and culture familiarity, it is no wonder that western-run or
western-style medical clinics are the destinations of choice for expats
based in Shanghai. In addition to those, you can also seek medical
assistance from certain designated facilities in the city. They are
assigned by Shanghai health authority and commonly referred to as
foreigners’ clinics, but be prepared to lower your expectation as these
are sometimes perceived to be lacking in management and expertise. One
other issue here is that most clinics do not use English as a working
language, so brush up your Chinese vocabulary or get a colleague or
friend who is comfortable with Chinese language to go along with you.
In general,
the quality of care is decent and the cost reasonable but always make an
effort to check the kind of care administered before you head for one of
those foreigners’ clinics. Pay attention that some local hospitals would
not take on foreigners unless they are on emergency situations.
Private
Medical Facilities
Alongside
with economic prosperity, Shanghai has seen its private healthcare
boosted. Majority of these private hospitals and clinics are joint
venture projects. Subject to the staff competency and availability of
modern medical equipment, you will find the treatment from private
establishments to vary a lot from one another.
Where major
disease is involved, majority of the expats would choose to head home
for the necessary medical treatment; some have also opted to seek
treatments from other Asian cities such as Bangkok and Hong Kong.
Shanghai still suffers from the perception that specialized treatment is
still inadequate locally.
Western-styled medical clinics are commonplace in Shanghai and the
practitioners are competent and qualified to discharge their medical
help. Over the recent years, the number of western-trained general
practitioners has exploded due to the continual expansion of the
Shanghai expatriate communities.
Immunization
Shanghai does not
have a law that require immunizations on visitors but its advisable to
have immunizations against Hepatits A & B, Japanese encephalitis and
rabies when you plan to travel to the city. It makes all the more sense
to be sufficiently immunized before you arrive here but alternatively
you can approach the Shanghai medical clinics for the required
immunizations (be sure to check if they have the capability to deal with
all your desired immunizations).
Due to
strict legislation, you will find some of the common drugs you find in
other cities may not be easily available here over the counter when you
approach the Shanghai medical stores. We would usually advise that all
your basic medical supplies should be bought at home and have them
shipped to Shanghai. Legislation would require you to apply for an
import certificate for your medical shipment even though customs
officers rarely check on the content. For prescribed medicines, proof of
prescription is similarly required.
