Shenzhen is a buzzing metropolis which is known for attracting people from all around the world. Many expats, looking for adventures or exploring new professional paths will relocate to SZ each year and try to make Shenzhen their new home. Due to this, there is a growing demand for community services that better cater to the needs of foreigners.

One of the most important services is medical care. Many who find themselves in need of seeing a doctor will visit a local hospital but usually in China local hospitals are very crowded – a fact which has pushed the average public doctor to a point of seeing over 200 patients a day.

Doctors dealing with this kind of a workload become tired quickly and might perform their duties less than satisfactory. Patients are having to wait long hours to see a doctor for just a few minutes.

The other option is seeking medical solutions across the border in Hong Kong but that has its challenges such as travelling across crowded boarders with a sick child, trouble getting pass health inspections and the high costs of medical services in HK which has become a deeper concern with increasing costs of living in Shenzhen and families wishing to reduce household costs such as medical insurance.

Luckily the past few years the Chinese government have decided support more private medical companies to relieve pressure off of the public sector and thus, allow new medical clinics to grow in Shenzhen.

Distinct HealthCare, is such a clinic. Distinct started by Mr. Wang (Philip) Zhiyuan and Mr. Shi (William) Yi two University colleagues with a strong passion for health and a strong sense of caring for their community, along with one more partner Doctor Zhu (Harrison) Yan , they established the first Distinct HealthCare clinic.

Distinct HealthCare opened its doors in Shenzhen in 2012 and since then opened thirteen additional medical centers in China. This includes Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and two new centers that are set to open in Shanghai and Ningbo shortly.

Immediately upon walking into a Distinct HealthCare clinic you can feel you are in a professional well organized environment. Each clinic is equipped with the latest state of the art equipment complimented by friendly English speaking doctors and nurses.

International Insurance Companies Accepted at Distinc Healthcare

This is in part due to their National Marketing and Expat relationship Manager Loubel Michal who ensures that English speaking patients are well taken care of and Sherry Shi, who is the International schools Relationship Manager and works with international schools ensuring both staff and students are correctly cared for and that health awareness programs are promoted.Dist inct is offering a range of activities for schools, from doctors lectures to student programs to first aid trainings. Distinct HealthCare also offer onsite nurses to international schools who may not have a full time nurse on staff. In addition Distinct HealthCare are also able to make specific employee health checks based on their corporate clients’ healthcare plans in order to keep their insurance expenses on budget.

Distinct HealthCare clinics are all in one medical centers that offer six main wards the first being the well-appointed general reception area.

Pediatrics Ward

The pediatric ward is filled with toys, cartoon books and friendly attentive nurses. It is also good to point out that each ward comes equipped with highly advanced air filtration devices which are extremely important in any medical facility or any big cities due to airborne particles. There is also a breast-feeding room for mothers and also a private isolation room for children who may have a contagious illnesses.

Pharmacy Ward

The pharmacy ward is unique in Shenzhen because they stock imported over the counter and prescription drugs from major pharmaceutical producers. This is great if you are looking for a certain medication that you would otherwise find difficult to locate elsewhere. Furthermore, all the prescription instructions at Distinct Clinic are enclosed in re-sealable plastic bags with clear English directions.

Specialists Ward

The specialists ward is responsible for ENT, dermatology and physical therapy and since November, Distinct Healthcare is also offering psychology consultations by PHD Psychologist Tracy Pinshow Navon. Additionally if there is any need of a specialist, Distinct HealthCare will arrange a specialist based on the patient’s condition or even arrange for a nurse to accompany the patient to visit a specialist for consultation at their affiliated hospital network.

Multi Function Rooms

The clinic has two rooms for training purposes such as CPR (American Heart Association Certified) first aid training for corporate clients, international school teachers and in addition parents can all join in these classes and become certified in CPR, AED or first aid. If you are interested in this type of certification please note that this certification is internationally recognized. Group activities for children are also catered for providing children with a fun environment where they can learn positive health practices. There are also lectures to educate new mothers on how to care for their infants. All events are promoted on their WeChat groups a week in advance.

Well Baby Ward

The Well Baby ward is for infant health care, development and vaccination. Mothers can bring their infants here to have their monthly checkups and also to be put on a specific schedule for vaccinations. The vaccinations can cater to both children and adults and also can cater to some supplemental vaccines. There is also a physical therapy room available to help children with their overall muscle development as some babies need encouragement to begin to crawl or walk so that their development is not stalled. This ward also helps to teach mothers methods on how to motivate their child to move more independently and further drive their development.

Health Check and Day Surgery Ward

In addition to all of the above services Distinct HealthCare also provide x-ray, ultrasound, dermatologic and OBGYN services. There is also a gastro internal medicine specialist who works full time with their anesthesiologist to provide colonoscopies.

24 Hour Hot Line

Distinct HealthCare has also a 24-hour English call center that can offer emergency medical advice in order to ensure that patients are transferred to the nearest clinic for treatment in the quickest possible time. Also noteworthy is that Distinct Healthcare operate WeChat groups in multiple cities open to foreigners who may need to seek medical advice.

All and all, I was extremely excited to find this medical center and felt that it was the closest thing to any western hospital that I have yet seen in the Shenzhen. You want a doctor who is going to be a lifetime family contact and be a part of your family’s growth. That’s what you will find here at Distinct HealthCare.

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