Yongfengyuan Hotel

For something short-term, like an infection where you just need antibiotics, Huashan Worldwide Medical Center can be convenient. The wait is short, and they get you to the right place. Ongoing care has been a different story for me. My doctor said to return in six weeks, but only gave me four weeks of the prescribed medicine. When I came back after four weeks for more, I was told I had to pay 1000 RMB for a "consultation" to get another prescription, even though the doctor had said I would need the medication for a long time. They don't offer refillable prescriptions. It feels like a shakedown, and I can only think the setup is meant to make patients pay 1000 RMB for an unnecessary visit just to continue the medication they need. It’s also very hard to reach them by phone. I usually call four or five times before anyone picks up. I’ll be looking for another clinic soon.

The emergency department was awful. They kept passing me from one doctor to another as if I were an object, and people were grumpy much of the time. The hospital was packed, too. Over the course of a week, they changed my infusion twice, then said I still needed ten more days of it. I got fed up and went to another hospital, where it cost less and worked better.

The registration and payment area was crammed with people, and there was nobody to organize the lines or direct patients to the different departments. It was just extremely crowded, on weekdays as well as weekends. I’m sure it’s one of the biggest hospitals in downtown Shanghai, but it really needs better management.

We took my wife to Huashan's international/VIP clinic. It was much cleaner and more orderly than a local ward, but it still took us a while to figure out how things worked. There was no general practitioner available, so you have to choose which specialist you want to see, unlike what we’re used to in the West. The ultrasound was efficient, and we were able to skip the long line. The whole visit took 1.5 hours. The consultation cost 600RMB, and the ultrasound was around 2000RMB. English service was basic to average. The doctor assessed the situation and gave his conclusion, but couldn’t explain the reasoning behind the diagnosis in everyday English. I had to translate so my wife could feel reassured that it seemed right.