All news

Hainan medical tourism zone three years ahead of schedule in registering imported drugs

Local authorities said treatment costs also went down

HAIKOU /China/, Jan. 4. /TASS/. Lecheng International Medical Tourism Zone in eastern Hainan Island is three years ahead of schedule in registering foreign medical products, clearing more than 200 medical devices and drugs requiring a special license for use, the regional administration said on Tuesday.

"By the end of 2021, we had registered more than 200 imported medical devices and pharmaceutical drugs. The number of patients who use them [in Hainan] has increased by 454%," Liu Xiaolei, first deputy head of the Lecheng Zone Administration, said during a news conference. "So we have reached our target not in 2025, but three years earlier."

The official noted that due to the introduction of advanced foreign medical technology Chinese citizens and foreigners have the opportunity to undergo treatment on the island without having to visit other countries where these drugs and equipment are produced. According to her, 39 of these devices and drugs are designed to treat cancer, 38 are help rehabilitating patients after injuries and diseases, 31 are used in the field of ophthalmology, 28 are for used in cardiology.

As the local authorities noted, treatment costs have also gone down. For example, corneal transplants in Hainan will now cost seven times less than in the United States.

In February 2013, China's State Council approved an initiative to create an advanced health cluster on the island. Lecheng is a short drive from the site of the annual Boao Forum for Asia and is considered Hainan’s "medical landmark”.

Tags