Emergency hospitals for expats in Beijing and Shanghai

Medical emergencies often happen at the most inopportune times. How do you make sure you are prepared for serious accidents as an expat living in China? In this Pacific Prime China article, we would like to gift our readers with peace of mind. They say, “the more you know, the better”. Here, we’ll go over the types of emergency hospitals you can expect to find in both Beijing and Shanghai. For your convenience, we also included a list of the best medical facilities and their contact information below.

Expat emergency care in China

You can access emergency care from a wide range of medical facilities in China. However, how are medical emergencies dealt with here? We have tackled this topic previously in our in-depth guide to medical emergencies in China. Even so, it’s good to get a snapshot of common problems you’d face as an expat seeking emergency care in China.

Language barrier

Expats in China often have a hard time communicating with the locals if they’re not fluent in Mandarin. As such, simply calling for an ambulance can be a difficult task. Case in point: how do you communicate with the phone operator?

Long wait times

Ambulances may take over an hour to arrive. To add to that, they are not outfitted with sufficient medical equipment to begin treatment right away. For these reasons, expats in China frequently take a taxi to their nearest medical facility. This way, the price is cheaper and quick medical attention is guaranteed.

Types of hospitals

There are several categories of hospitals in China – all with varying degrees of convenience for expats. Public emergency hospitals are cheap. However, you’d run into a number of issues. These include a language barrier, long wait times, under-trained staff, and a lack of access to cutting-edge technology and treatment.

Other options are international and foreign-run emergency hospitals. They have foreign-trained doctors who can speak your language, and the latest medical equipment and procedures. Of course, all of these come with a much higher price tag. In other words, you’d definitely want to secure a comprehensive health insurance plan in case of emergencies.

Proof of insurance

Without proof of insurance, many emergency hospitals in China will deny you treatment. What’s more, even with proof of insurance, emergency hospitals outside of major cities may refuse treatment unless the patient pays cash upfront.

Emergency hospitals

No matter which Chinese city you’re in, the #1 emergency number to keep in mind at all times is 120. This is the general medical emergency phone number that everyone in China can dial for free. It connects you with an emergency dispatcher who can send an ambulance to your location.

Besides dialing 120, there are many other places you can turn to in both Beijing and Shanghai should an emergency arise. This includes numerous 24-hour emergency clinics and hospitals in the cities. Here are some of the best facilities to head to should you experience a medical emergency, complete with Chinese language addresses you can show to local taxi drivers.

Beijing emergency medical facilities

Shanghai emergency medical facilities

We certainly hope you don’t have to make use of any of the above addresses, but they’ll be here if you need them. Interested in having access to state-of-the-art medical technology and quick medical attention? In that case, you’d want to secure private international health insurance. This plan provides you with coverage in China, as well as the rest of the world. Reach out to our helpful insurance experts at Pacific Prime China! They’re happy to show you the best options on the market for your particular needs, and give you an obligation-free quote.

Disclaimer: Pacific Prime China solely represents, operates and manages locally regulated insurance products and services in the territory of PR China. Any references to Pacific Prime Global Company or Group, the international services, insurance products or otherwise stated written or verbally, is for introduction purposes about our overseas network only as each entity is fully independent.