BEIJING: “Medical tourism is that people take a trip to other countries to get good health facilities. There is a need for this thing between Pakistan and China,” said Dr. Muhammad Shahbaz, President of China Pakistan Medical Association (CPMA).
“In my opinion, Pakistan patients should reach China for treatment, the quantity now is too little. Due to Covid-19, there are too many visa issues, and flights are not coming, a lot of difficulties are there.”
“I did my master’s degree and Ph.D. in China. In the last 15 years, I have seen that a lot of work has been done in China to enhance the technology of artificial intelligence, big data, augmented and virtual reality, and telemedicine.
Top-class universities and hospitals in China are included in the list of the world’s top 500 universities and hospitals.
Pakistan medical technology has not progressed to this extent, while our population has crossed more than 21 crores.
In this regard, there is a dire need of medical cooperation between Pakistan and China.”
“Since China did not have much medical contact with the outside world, foreign patients don’t know China’s real medical level.
This is also why in the global medical tourism industry which is worth USD 700 billion, the market occupied by China is 0,” said Li Dinggang, executive president of medicine of Beijing Lu Daopei Hematology Hospital. Shahbaz also agreed that one reason for the little number of Pakistan patients who come to China for treatment is that China does not market itself enough.
“Except for the language barrier, one problem is that we do not have a platform to develop a connection between nations and related institutions. There is also a shortage of awareness and medical knowledge.”
Shahbaz suggested that a platform that provides medical knowledge to other counties should be established and information about which kind of diseases can be treated in China should also be provided by them. – Agencies
