The short version
Getting medical help in China is easier than many visitors expect. Hospitals are busy but efficient, pharmacies are everywhere, and you usually see a doctor the same day.
- Emergency: call 120 for an ambulance (in Beijing, 999 also works), or go to the emergency department (急诊, jízhěn) of a large hospital.
- Minor problem: start at a pharmacy (药店, yàodiàn), marked with a green cross.
- Need a doctor: go to a large public hospital’s outpatient department (门诊, ménzhěn) with your passport. Expect to pay before each test and medicine.
- Want English and comfort: use an international department (国际医疗部) of a top hospital, or a private international clinic. It costs much more.
- Call your travel insurer before treatment if you can.
This guide was written on 3 October 2026. It is general information, not medical advice. If you feel seriously unwell, call 120.
Which option should you choose?
| Situation | Best choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cold, mild stomach upset, headache, small cut | Pharmacy | Fast, cheap, no appointment |
| Fever, infection, injury, needs tests | Public hospital outpatient | Good doctors and equipment, low cost, same-day visits |
| You want English, privacy or shorter waits | International department or private clinic | English-speaking staff, more time with the doctor |
| Chest pain, breathing problems, serious injury, severe allergic reaction | Call 120 / emergency department | Do not wait |
Pharmacies: for minor problems
Pharmacies are on almost every street in Chinese cities, and many big ones are open 24 hours. Look for 药店 or 大药房 and a green cross.
- Over the counter you can buy painkillers, cold and flu medicine, antihistamines, rehydration salts, diarrhea treatments, plasters and more.
- Antibiotics and many other drugs need a prescription.
- Show the generic name of what you need, or a photo of the packet from home. Brand names differ.
- Pharmacists often recommend traditional Chinese medicines. If you want a Western medicine, say so.
| Medicine | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Paracetamol (acetaminophen) | 对乙酰氨基酚 | duì yǐxiān ānjīfēn |
| Ibuprofen | 布洛芬 | bùluòfēn |
| Loratadine (antihistamine) | 氯雷他定 | lǜléitādìng |
| Oral rehydration salts | 口服补液盐 | kǒufú bǔyè yán |
| Loperamide (diarrhea) | 洛哌丁胺 | luòpàidīng’àn |
| Plasters / band-aids | 创可贴 | chuàngkětiē |
For stomach problems, see stomach problems in China.
Public hospitals: how a visit works
Most Chinese people go straight to a hospital, not a family doctor. Large public hospitals, called grade 3A hospitals (三甲医院, sānjiǎ yīyuàn), are the best equipped.
Step by step
- Go to the outpatient building (门诊楼) during the day, or the emergency department (急诊) at night and on weekends. If you have a fever, you may be sent to the separate fever clinic (发热门诊).
- Register (挂号, guàhào) at the counter or a self-service machine with your passport. Choose the department, such as internal medicine (内科), surgery (外科), dermatology (皮肤科) or pediatrics (儿科). Staff at the information desk help you choose.
- Pick the doctor level. A normal doctor costs least. A senior expert doctor (专家号) costs more and may have a longer wait.
- Wait for your number on the screen outside the consulting rooms.
- See the doctor. Visits are often short. Have your symptoms written down in Chinese and English, and a translation app ready.
- Pay before each step. The doctor orders tests or medicine; you pay at the cashier or a machine, then go for the test, and come back to the doctor with the results.
- Collect medicine at the hospital pharmacy (药房) with your receipt.
Payment: Alipay and WeChat Pay are widely accepted, and cash always works. Many hospitals do not take foreign cards. If you are admitted, hospitals usually ask for a deposit. See how deposits and insurance work in China travel insurance.
Tips for public hospitals
- Go early. Mornings are busiest, but many departments stop registering in the late afternoon.
- Bring someone who speaks Chinese if you can, especially for anything complex.
- Ask for a written report (病历, bìnglì) and itemized receipts (发票, fāpiào) for insurance.
- Bring your own tissues and a bottle of water. Waiting areas are crowded.
International departments and private clinics
If you want English-speaking staff, more privacy and less waiting, big cities have two options:
- International departments of top public hospitals, such as Peking Union Medical College Hospital’s International Medical Services in Beijing and Huashan Hospital’s Worldwide Medical Center in Shanghai. You see experienced specialists with English-speaking staff.
- Private international hospitals and clinics, such as United Family in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and Jiahui International Hospital in Shanghai.
What to expect: appointments, English throughout and prices closer to Western private care, often over RMB 1,000 for a consultation before tests. Some bill partner insurers directly, so call your insurer first and ask which clinics they work with.
Outside the biggest cities, international clinics are rare. A large public hospital in the provincial capital is usually the best choice.
Emergencies
- Call 120 for an ambulance, or 999 in Beijing. Operators may not speak English: have your location in Chinese ready, or ask a passer-by or hotel staff to call.
- Ambulances charge a fee based on distance and treatment.
- Taxi or DiDi to the emergency department is often faster in a city if you can travel.
- Call your insurer’s 24-hour assistance line as soon as you can.
- Contact your embassy if you need help communicating or reaching family.
For other emergency numbers, see is China safe?.
Bringing and refilling medication
- Bring enough of your regular medication for the whole trip, in original packaging, with a copy of your prescription.
- Some medicines are controlled in China, including some ADHD medications and strong painkillers. Check before you travel. See China customs rules.
- Refills: a doctor in China can prescribe a local equivalent if you bring the generic name and dose.
- Allergies: carry a Chinese allergy card and your own adrenaline auto-injectors. See food allergies in China.
Useful phrases
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| I need a doctor | 我要看医生 | wǒ yào kàn yīshēng |
| Where is the nearest hospital? | 最近的医院在哪里？ | zuìjìn de yīyuàn zài nǎlǐ? |
| Emergency department | 急诊 | jízhěn |
| I have a fever | 我发烧了 | wǒ fāshāo le |
| It hurts here | 这里疼 | zhèlǐ téng |
| I am allergic to … | 我对……过敏 | wǒ duì … guòmǐn |
| Please call an ambulance | 请叫救护车 | qǐng jiào jiùhùchē |
Get help in Chinese when you need it
The hardest part of seeing a doctor in China is the language and knowing where to go. Your personal travel concierge can help you on WhatsApp to find the right hospital or pharmacy, explain how registration works and translate your symptoms into Chinese. For a hospital visit, a local guide can go with you to translate. This is not an emergency service: in an emergency, call 120 first.