Among Guangdong's First Batch! Shenzhen People's Hospital Selected as International Medical Service Pilot Hospital

Background

In March 2026, the Guangdong Provincial Health Commission, Healthcare Security Administration and Medical Products Administration jointly announced the first batch of 25 international medical service pilot hospitals. Shenzhen People's Hospital was selected as one of them, one of four Shenzhen hospitals chosen. The pilot program is scheduled for 2026 to 2027. This forms part of efforts to build international medical service capabilities in the Pearl River Delta, focusing on services for self-funded patients or those with international commercial insurance, including residents from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, foreign nationals and overseas Chinese.

Data from preceding years showed rising demand. Foreign patient medical visits to Guangdong increased notably in 2025, with hospitalization needs rising by 76.05 percent. In Shenzhen, overseas outpatient and emergency visits grew from 784,000 in 2023 to 1.359 million in 2025 at an average annual rate of 31.7 percent. Inpatient admissions rose from 15,000 to 26,000 with an average annual increase of 33.6 percent.

What was achieved

Shenzhen People's Hospital was formally selected as one of Guangdong's first batch of 25 international medical service pilot hospitals. The hospital published the news on its official website on April 22, 2026, attributing the selection to its comprehensive medical strength and quality international service capabilities. The hospital had launched its dedicated International Medical Department in January 2026 featuring a 24,000 square meter independent area.

As a pilot institution, it will implement independent pricing for high-end international services while upholding the public welfare baseline of basic medical care. The program requires strict physical isolation of international medical resources from basic services.

How it works

Under the pilot, international medical services are physically isolated from basic public medical care. Services for international patients primarily use newly added beds and are delivered in independent operational zones by dedicated service teams. This ensures resources for local patients are not impacted. Pilot hospitals can set their own prices for these services, which are not covered by basic medical insurance. Medical experts must first meet their regular public outpatient quotas.

The hospital's International Medical Department provides a full closed-loop service model covering outpatient, inpatient and diagnostics within the dedicated zone with separate parking, drop-off, elevators and partitioned areas. Outpatient services cover 38 specialties with 96 experts, offering multilingual support, multidisciplinary team consultations, independent VIP physical examinations and 24-hour response for positive results. Inpatient areas in the surgical building include 52 international beds, a 17-bed critical care section, dedicated operating rooms and smart high-end wards, including a private VIP floor.

Dedicated lower floors house MRI, CT, DSA imaging equipment and full sets of endoscopy and interventional facilities. The setup supports coordinated care aligned with international standards in a separate environment.

What it means for international patients

The selection as a pilot hospital indicates strengthened dedicated facilities for international patients at the hospital, which has served cross-border patients since 1984. The International Medical Department offers one-stop services with multilingual staff, advanced dedicated equipment, multidisciplinary team approaches and private ward environments designed for convenience and privacy.

International patients should confirm eligibility, service availability under the pilot, insurance direct billing options and all other details directly with the hospital. Implementation is subject to ongoing provincial and municipal assessment during the 2026-2027 period based on performance, quality and feedback.

About the hospital

Shenzhen People's Hospital is a tertiary Grade A public municipal hospital located in Luohu District, Shenzhen. Founded in 1946, it is the city's oldest, largest and strongest comprehensive municipal hospital. It has formed a one-hospital, multi-district model with approximately 3,060 beds and serves as the First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University School of Medicine.

The hospital has four national-level clinical key specialties including respiratory and critical care medicine, general surgery, intensive care medicine and geriatrics, along with provincial and municipal key disciplines. It has achieved A+ ratings in national tertiary public hospital performance evaluations for five consecutive years, with overall strength ranked in the national top 100. It has introduced high-level teams including those associated with academicians Zhong Nanshan and Dong Jiahong.