Visiting a Hospital in Hainan

Navigating Chinese hospitals can be a challenge for expats. When visiting a hospital in Hainan, it is best to take a trusted Chinese friend/colleague who speaks your mother tongue or English if you cannot speak Chinese. They can guide you through the process and do the interpreting for you.

The same basic steps apply to all outpatient visits at public and private hospitals in Hainan:

1. Register as a patient at the registration desk (病人登记) if it is your first visit to the hospital (you must take your passport/permanent foreign resident ID card to register).

2. Pay the consultation fee and get a queue number. In Chinese, this is called 挂号 (guà hào). If you are unsure which department you need to visit, you can show the person at the window a translation of your suspected illness or symptoms.

3. Head to the department shown on your queue ticket and wait until your number is called. If you miss your number, tell the nurse at the nurses’ station. They will arrange for your number to be placed back into the queue.

4. Have your consultation with the doctor. They may order some tests or prescribe you some medicine. They will give you a printout of your prescription/test order.

If the doctor ordered some tests:

1. Go to the payment window (收费) with the test order to pay for the tests. You will be issued a receipt that you may need to show to the person at the testing lab window.

2. Go to the testing lab shown on your test order and line up to get samples taken. In the case of urine or stool samples, you will be given the necessary receptacle. You need to go to the bathroom to collect these yourself and return them to the testing window. You will be told how long it will take for the results to be issued and may be given barcode sticker(s).

3. Collect the test results from the result printing machine once the allotted amount of time has passed. Scan the barcode shown on your test order form or the barcode(s) given to you at the testing window. If the results are ready, they will be printed out automatically. If they are not ready, the machine will tell you to wait.

4. Take the printout of the test results to the doctor who ordered the tests for further consultation. Wait until the patient currently being seen leaves the doctor’s office and then head in.

Note: If the test results are issued on a day different from the day you were tested, you will need to pay the consultation fee again and get a new queue number to see the doctor. In this case, make a note of the doctor’s name. The doctor who ordered the tests may not be on duty on the day you return, so you can either see another doctor in the same department (if urgent) or wait until the day they are on duty.

If the doctor gave you a prescription:

1. Go to the payment window (收费) with the prescription to pay for the medication. You will be issued a receipt that you may need to show to the dispenser at the dispensary.

2. Go to the dispensary indicated on the prescription or receipt. Some hospitals have employed an automated queue system, so in this case, you will need to wait for your number to be called. If there is no queue system in place, show your prescription and receipt to the dispenser at the window.

3. Wait for your medication to be issued. In hospitals with a queue system, your medication will be ready when your number is called.

4. If you have been prescribed injectable medication, take it to the doctor who prescribed you the medication. If you have been prescribed intravenous drip medication, take it to the intravenous drip medication room and give it to the nurse at the nurses’ station before taking a seat. A nurse will bring out your medication and insert the drip into your hand. Wait until the drip is complete, and then call the nurse to remove it from your hand.

You may need to go for a follow-up consultation. If so, follow the outpatient visit steps to see your doctor on the date you are asked to.