On the morning of the 24th at 10 a.m. local time, after a 2-hour drive from Haikou, Hainan, China, I entered Lecheng in Boao, eastern Hainan, where the narrow and tall buildings seen in Haikou city disappeared, replaced by buildings ranging from convention centers to large resorts. All of them were hospital buildings.
However, they were different from general hospitals aimed solely at medical treatment. There were many resort-type hospitals equipped with large health examination centers, specialized treatment centers, and accommodation and leisure facilities. This is the 'Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone,' established by the Chinese government in 2013, built on an area of 20.9 square kilometers. It is equivalent in size to one administrative district in Korea, seven times the size of Yeouido.
◇ The latest equipment from the U.S. and numerous new drugs... 'Lecheng, the number one place for advanced medicine in China'
I visited the Meisai'er Hospital, one of the representative hospitals of the pilot zone. Upon entering the lobby, there was a bright atmosphere without the hospital's characteristic cold feeling. Passing through the main building and reaching the annex where the examination center is located, I felt a sense of spaciousness with the large sculptures and plant landscaping integrated into the glass interior. There were even middle-aged clients leisurely drinking tea at a table.
This hospital focuses on precision examinations and diagnostics as well as precise treatments. All examination equipment is from GE, Philips, or Siemens. The only breast computed tomography (CT) device located in Asia is also found here. The clinical research lab has a glass structure that allows clients to directly see the site. To enhance client convenience, foreign language consultations are also available.
The hospital collaborates with Austria's VAMED Rehabilitation Group, the U.S. Mayo Clinic, Japan's Oda Hospital, and HASSBIO Cancer Research Institute, allowing patients to receive treatment at levels comparable to those found in their home countries without needing to travel far across the ocean.
In the case of the Boao Super Hospital, a third-level comprehensive hospital with equity held by the Chinese government, acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and chuna therapy based on traditional Chinese medicine are used for pain treatment. It operates 30 specialized departments, including cardiology, otolaryngology, hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, oncology, ophthalmology, and dermatology. It has carried out over 100 advanced procedures employing innovative technologies, including cochlear implants and auditory brainstem implants. Since its opening in 2018, over 20,000 patients have received treatment here.
Yang Hongbo, the chief neurosurgeon, noted, 'The hospital's advanced procedure status is among the leading levels in Asia,' adding, 'This is why many overseas patients visit the hospital. More than 70% of our patients come from outside mainland China.'
◇ “Health of the body starts from the health of the mind”… a health management center focused on prevention and management
There is also a health management center aimed at disease prevention, rather than a hospital for treatment purposes. Established in 2005 and headquartered in Beijing, the comprehensive medical and health management corporation, Yiling Group, operates the Yiling Hospital here. Yiling Hospital focuses on disease prevention and longevity by integrating traditional Chinese medicine with modern medicine.
The Yiling Hospital resembled a Southeast Asian resort with its high ceilings and wooden designs. The first floor also featured a buffet restaurant, spaces for calligraphy experiences, traditional tea tastings, performances of traditional string instruments, and areas for burning scents to help with sleep disorders. Going upstairs, there are consultation rooms where therapies based on traditional medicine and minority ethnic medicine can be experienced. Last year, approximately 410,000 tourists visited this place.
Teng Wenshen, a business development manager at Yiling Group's International Medical Cooperation Development Office, mentioned, 'We are collaborating with renowned traditional Chinese medicine experts who regularly provide consultations here. Techniques such as acupuncture, moxibustion, and chuna are at the highest level in China.' He added, 'Most foreign patients are from Russia, and there are also patients from Korea. Occasionally, we have patients from Arab countries, and recently six patients from Canada visited.' He continued, 'We are preparing travel packages for Korean clients that combine Hainan's golf resorts with our medical services.'
Hainan allows travelers from 170 countries that have established diplomatic relations with China to stay visa-free for 144 hours if they are part of a group of two or more traveling from or via Hong Kong or Macau. Even if entering mainland China visa-free is not possible, as long as they meet these conditions, they can stay in Hainan for up to 5 days and 6 nights.
◇ Relaxed permits promote active application of new drugs… nullification of tariffs enhances price competitiveness
The government policies to support the medical tourism industry in the pilot zone are substantial. China requires that to import pharmaceuticals and medical devices, approval must be obtained from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), which incurs high expenses and takes time. However, here, the Hainan Provincial Government directly issues sales permits for patented medicines and medical devices, allowing new drugs to be applied in China more rapidly. President Xi Jinping inspected the pilot zone in 2018.
Additionally, the Chinese government implemented a tariff-free policy on the import of pharmaceutical products and medical devices into the Hainan Free Trade Port on December 25 last year. According to the People's Daily, until this month, goods worth 114 million yuan (approximately 21.6 billion won) have been imported into Hainan, with the cumulative tax reduction amounting to about 15 million yuan (approximately 2.8 billion won). So far, a total of 14 hospitals have passed the beneficiary qualification examination, and the major imported items include pharmaceuticals and medical devices such as cochlear implants.
Thanks to this, hospitals in this area have excellent price competitiveness. They are cheaper than not only countries in the Anglo-American sphere but also nearby Southeast Asian nations. Zhou Wujing, a doctor at Meisai'er Hospital, stated, 'A simple CT scan costs over $500 (approximately 680,000 won) in the U.S., and an endoscopy costs over $2,000 (approximately 2.72 million won). However, our hospital offers a comprehensive physical examination starting at $2,000. In the U.S., the same examination can cost as much as $5,000 (approximately 6.79 million won).'