During an interview on September 23, Fu Zhu, the deputy director of the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, shared some exciting updates about healthcare in the region. Currently, the pilot zone has introduced 435 medical products that have been approved overseas but are not yet available in China. These products span across 28 clinical disciplines, including oncology, internal medicine, cardiology, and ophthalmology.
Established in February 2013 in Qionghai City, Hainan Province, the Boao Lecheng Pilot Zone plays a vital role in developing Hainan’s Free Trade Port. It operates under special policies that facilitate “licensed medical services, research, operation, and international medical exchanges,” allowing patients to access the latest international drugs and medical devices.
Fu reported remarkable growth from January to August this year, with 262,300 medical tourists visiting the pilot zone, marking a year-on-year increase of 41.94%. The utilization of licensed medical products also skyrocketed, reaching 34,900 cases—a staggering growth of 99%.
“Boao Lecheng has emerged as a focal point for both domestic and international high-quality medical institutions and renowned medical device companies,” Fu noted. Currently, there are 31 operational medical institutions in the zone, with over 20 additional facilities either under construction or in planning. This development fosters a healthcare ecosystem featuring leading domestic public hospitals alongside a variety of international and domestic specialty clinics, significantly enhancing the capacity to offer comprehensive services from disease prevention to rehabilitation.
During the event attended by 20 overseas Chinese media representatives from 17 countries, Chen Chunchun, an editor from the Philippines’ Business Journal, highlighted the importance of making advanced medical technologies accessible to a broader audience. She expressed appreciation for China’s initiatives in upgrading medical devices and services and aims to share information about the pilot zone’s policies and opportunities for medical tourism back to the Philippines, promoting cooperation between the two regions.
Looking ahead, Fu mentioned that the Boao Lecheng Pilot Zone intends to leverage the newly introduced policy that allows for the establishment of wholly foreign-owned hospitals in Hainan, with the exception of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and public hospital acquisitions. The zone aims to continue attracting high-quality international healthcare institutions to enhance its medical services while promoting its unique medical tourism products both domestically and abroad.
