Shanghai Eye - Why are international patients seeking medical treatment in China?

2026年3月7日 网页

来源：Shanghai Eye

记者：张红

原文链接

https://www.shanghaieye.cn/detail?postId=131385

Scroll through social media today, and you'll witness an unexpected trend: foreigners documenting their medical journeys in China with a mixture of astonishment and relief. In 2025, Shanghai's public hospitals recorded 73,200 visits from patients holding foreign passports, an 8% jump from the previous year. Nationwide, that number hits 1.28 million, representing a staggering 73.6% increase in just three years. Why are patients seeking treatment in China?

The China Difference: Where Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science

For 53-year-old John from Singapore, hope arrived in a Shanghai consultation room. Diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor, in 2024, John had exhausted conventional options. Surgery couldn't remove it all. Chemo, radiation, and targeted therapy followed, but the tumor persisted.

"I consulted my Chinese medicine practitioner in Singapore," John explains. "She strongly recommended I come to Shanghai because this hospital specializes in glioblastoma. My doctor in Singapore said my treatment options were running out. The doctors here explain everything in incredible detail."

What John discovered was something uniquely Chinese: integrated traditional and Western medicine.

Dr. Liu Lingshuang, Director of the Sixth Department of Oncology at Longhua Hospital, explains the synergy, "During radiotherapy and chemotherapy, patients often experience poor appetite, dropping white blood cell counts, anemia, and reduced platelets. Some develop severe rashes from targeted therapies so uncomfortable that treatment gets interrupted or discontinued. As traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, we find ways to alleviate these toxic side effects and even enhance efficacy. While targeted therapies might typically maintain effectiveness for nine months, incorporating Chinese medicine can extend this to over a year. For ultra-elderly patients, 85 or 90 years old, who cannot undergo chemotherapy or radiotherapy, Chinese medicine alone offers hope. It slows tumor progression while ensuring quality of life."

China's TCM system also emphasizes prevention. As Longhua Hospital President Chen Xinlin notes, "Ten years ago, Longhua Hospital was recommended by CNN as a destination for authentic Chinese medicine tourism. In 2025, we welcomed over 50 international visitor groups seeking help for sub-health conditions, insomnia, pain, hair loss, and skin problems."