Why are more and more Europeans and Americans choosing to come to China for medical treatment?

不会真有人觉得这是好事吧？而且还能看到有人在这下面搞赢学。

国内的政策一向是外事无小事。

别的不说，别忘了”新冠疫情笼罩下的「丁丁保卫战」?“

【六院新闻】新冠疫情笼罩下的“丁丁保卫战”

原创 高质量发展中的 上海市第六人民医院

日前，我院泌尿外科傅强主任在临港院区刚完成一台极为复杂的尿道修复重建手术，这时手机响了，电话那头传来了市八医院泌尿外科汪祖林主任的急促声音：“傅主任，我院隔离病房收治了一名从隔离酒店转诊来的外籍患者，阴茎异常勃起50小时，情况非常罕见，我们没有经验，需要您会诊。”50小时远远超过了阴茎异常勃起的最佳抢救时间，后期会不可避免地出现器质性勃起功能障碍，对年轻未婚的患者无疑是不能承受之痛。远在70公里外临港院区的傅强主任当机立断，指示立即阴茎海绵体穿刺引流，使用血管活性药物，必要时行阴茎海绵体分流术。此外，立即派出徐汇院区的宋鲁杰主任医师前往市八医院指导患者的救治。经过一系列紧急处理，患者持续勃起终于有了一定程度的缓解，所有人松了一口气，期待患者慢慢康复。

事与愿违，患者再次出现异常勃起，情况危急。随着时间延长，阴茎缺血损伤将进一步加重，后果不堪设想。傅强主任、宋鲁杰主任医师与汪祖林主任详细讨论了病情，认为患者持续阴茎勃起与其早年发生的镰状细胞贫血

关系密切，异常形态的红细胞导致阴茎静脉回流堵塞，造成阴茎缺血，必须立刻行阴茎海绵体分流术，这是目前国际公认的唯一可能解决异常勃起的方法。镰状细胞贫血所致阴茎异常勃起多见于欧美国家，在国内极为罕见，手术极具挑战。更大的问题在于患者来自境外高风险地区，虽然2次新冠病毒核酸检测为阴性，但仍在隔离观察期间，进行手术有严格的疫情防控要求。

市八医院冯云海书记、顾水明院长和胡强副院长对此高度重视，亲临现场组织全院多学科会诊，做好充分的术前准备和预案，并上报市卫健委，市 领 导 指 示 必 须 全 力 救 治。血液科吴凌云主任、超声医学科马宏伟主任及手术麻醉护理团队均在第一时间到位，在傅强主任的指导下，宋鲁杰主任医师主刀，为患者实施阴茎海绵体尿道海绵体分流术

。根据疫情防控的要求，整个手术及麻醉护理团队采用最高级别的防护。在厚重的防护服和无菌手术衣的包裹下，手术台上的每个操作都极为困难，还需要克服护目镜雾气阻碍视线。傅强主任通过视频耐心地指导着每个关键的手术步骤，手术有条不紊。历经一个半小时，手术终于成功了，整个团队都沉浸在成功的喜悦之中。

经过术后10天的观察，患者恢复良好，多次核酸检测均为阴性，经评估后出院。

在疫情防控大仗硬仗的关键时期，面对来自境外高风险地区的外籍患者，医务工作者坚持人民至上、生命至上，在关键时刻敢担当、有作为，齐心协力打赢了这场罕见的“丁丁保卫战”，全力以赴守“沪”人民健康。

As the old saying goes: don’t flaunt your wealth carelessly. Boasting about something constantly will inevitably invite disaster. The wisest approach in life is to stay quiet and get rich—just like many brick-and-mortar business owners: whether they’re actually profitable or not, if you ask them, they’ll always say they’re barely scraping by.

(Of course, running a physical business really is tough these days.)

Medical resources are fundamentally zero-sum: every bit used by outsiders is one bit less available for you. That’s just reality. In every country today, medical resources are limited—there are only so many doctors. The more patients there are, the less attention each individual receives.

In this regard, the United States serves as a classic cautionary tale.

Daily life at the grassroots level in America today is far less stable than it is in China. Yet look around the world—so many people still desperately scheme to immigrate illegally to the U.S.

This is largely a problem of America’s own making.

For decades, the U.S. has aggressively promoted itself globally through propaganda, claiming it’s a paradise on earth—the best place in the world.

The consequence? Millions of the world’s poorest people, lacking critical judgment, internalized this narrative: “If I want to change my fate, I must go to America.”

Hence, every year sees massive waves of undocumented immigrants from Latin America crossing into the U.S., severely squeezing the living space of native-born Americans. With so many willing laborers flooding in, average wages get driven down. If ordinary Americans refuse to wash dishes, there’s always someone else eager to take the job—take it or leave it.

Eventually, competition becomes so fierce that many say, “Just give me food—I’ll work for free.” Isn’t that exactly the mindset of many would-be immigrants?

Once these individuals gain a foothold in the U.S. and eventually secure legal status through various means, they begin consuming American healthcare resources. Given that U.S. healthcare is already exorbitantly priced, the added demand from masses of undocumented patients only pushes costs even higher.

All this trouble stems from America’s global boast that it’s a land of gold—luring low-skilled populations worldwide to come and “freeload.” Regardless of the actual situation in the U.S., countless people believe the myth: “Go to America, and your life will be better.”

Thus, the ideal international image for any nation should be “poor but fierce.”

First, regardless of actual wealth, you must appear poor. If you don’t, whenever a global crisis erupts, the UN will immediately pressure you for more contributions: “You’re rich—pay more!” You’ll be morally blackmailed endlessly.

Moreover, as mentioned earlier, once others realize your country has excellent public safety and infrastructure, everyone will scheme to move in and stay.

Just consider how hard employment already is—why advertise your advantages and attract even more people? Are you worried you’re not working overtime enough? The more people arrive, the more employers can say, “If you won’t do it, someone else will,” making wage increases an impossible dream.

Second, “fierce” means demonstrating formidable military strength—making the world believe you’re not someone to be trifled with. Only then can you enjoy the security needed for peaceful development.

Therefore, the optimal external image for a nation is “poor but fierce.” Everyone will respect you—but no one will covet your home.

So what does it resemble when a country loudly proclaims through global megaphones, “America’s healthcare system is terrible—ours is the best”?

It’s like standing on a busy street shouting, “My wife is the most beautiful, the most alluring—if you don’t believe me, come take a look! I guarantee you’ll be amazed!”

What you never expected was that, the moment you said it, a crowd of strapping young men would rush over, surround your wife, and demand her WeChat.

With so many people swarming around her, you yourself get pushed to the outer edge—unable to even get close.

In the end, you stand there like a powerless husband, watching helplessly as strangers flirt with your wife.

That’s why whenever I see questions like this, I recognize it as essentially a psychological issue—one rooted in a “cuckold complex.” Only someone with such a mindset would eagerly tell every foreigner, “Our healthcare is the best in the world…”

Indeed, our Confucian cultural sphere has many virtues—but its greatest flaw is a deep-seated spiritual craving for “all nations to pay tribute” (wan guo lai chao).

Yet historically, every time China pursued “all nations paying tribute,” it inevitably turned into “all nations coming to freeload” (wan guo lai hao).

Thus, I firmly conclude: the “all-nations-paying-tribute” mentality is equivalent to a cuckold complex—and this argument holds up perfectly.

The state should promptly issue the "Regulations on Medical Services and Fees for Foreign Tourists in Public Hospitals" to prevent already scarce medical resources from being further strained.

The absence of a dual-track pricing system has led many foreigners to come and freeload on China’s subsidized healthcare.

For example, when I register at a top-tier hospital in Chengdu, the consultation fee for an attending physician is just a few RMB, and even for a chief physician, it’s only 10–30 RMB—equivalent to mere cents or a few U.S. dollars, less than the cost of a gallon of gasoline in the U.S.

Moreover, foreigners who can afford international flights to China are hardly poor. They’re typically high-income individuals. Combined with favorable exchange rates, they can fly here and get medical care that would cost thousands or tens of thousands back home—for just 50to100, including travel. Even after factoring in airfare, it’s still far cheaper than receiving treatment in their own countries. The value proposition is simply too good. Plus, Chinese doctors see dozens or even hundreds of patients daily, giving them immense practical experience—far superior to those incompetent doctors abroad who have to Google symptoms during consultations.

Since these foreigners are clearly affluent, why not charge them higher fees? The price doesn’t need to be excessive—just set it above domestic rates but still significantly below what they’d pay in their home countries. This would generate revenue while deterring those who only come to exploit cheap care.

In fact, arbitrage opportunities clearly exist. Overseas Chinese in the U.S. could set up “medical travel agencies” that handle visas, book flights, and coordinate appointments with Chinese hospitals—providing a full-service package. Even if priced slightly higher than the same medical services in China, it would still be far cheaper than U.S. healthcare costs. Americans would readily accept this, and Chinese hospitals—earning higher fees—would be willing to take on such patients.