5th Floor, Ningbo Development Zone Center Hospital, Beilun District, 666 Huashan Road
涉外特需门诊开发区中心医院5楼北仑区华山路段666号
Phone: 0574-8683-7211 (clinic hours only), for after hours consultations or emergencies only call directly to 137-3218-1095
Email: globalDr@gmail.com
Website: www.zhxyy.com
Hours: Monday- Friday 8:30-11:30am, 1:00-4:30pm and Saturday 8:30-11:30am
[Print Taxi Directions]

Located on the fifth floor of the Ningbo Development Zone Center Hospital in Beilun District, the Foreigners Medical Clinic is the only one of its kind in Ningbo. The two English-speaking nurses there will help you to get the care that you need in Beilun Central Hospital.

[Click here to download an introduction to the hospital - PDF 1.1Mb]

The clinic is the creation of Dr. Dennis Middleton of New Zealand. He holds a Masters in Health Science (MHSc), Bachelors of Health Science and Nursing (BHSc and BN), and is also certified as a paramedic. His specialties are emergency medicine and pre-hospital care. He will advise you on the proper health care to get at the hospital. His email is globalDr@gmail.com and his phone number is 0574-8683-7297.

How to go to the hospital:
The hospital is located at 666 Huashan Lu on the corner of Gaofeng Lu, in Beilun district (about 30km from Ningbo city center). On arrival, enter the hospital by the main entrance at the top of the wide sets of steps. The main entry leads to a large lobby area, inside there is an information desk immediately inside to the left where one can ask for assistance or directions. This desk is where you purchase the outpatient records booklet, which is needed for all outpatient consultations. It must be noted that the guides at the information counter cannot speak English at this time. Beyond the information counter, the cashiers area is to the left. Meanwhile, the emergency department area is inside the main entrance, down the right hallway. In a real emergency, use the emergency ambulance entrance - which unlike most hospitals' ambulance entrances - is often used by anyone who brings in an emergency patient by car, taxi or other vehicle. Usually, all consultations, tests and treatment must be paid for beforehand.

Ambulances:
If you are only slightly injured or sick, it is better to take a taxi to the hospital, rather than calling 120 for an ambulance. For the most part ambulances are only taxis, as they are sparsely equipped with only a defibrillator, oxygen, suction equipment, stretcher, and some first aid supplies. They are not equipped to the level of an ambulance found in developed countries. While the ambulance will mostly respond with the ambulance driver who doubles as an assistant, there is also an Emergency Doctor on board. However, in practice, patients picked up by ambulance will be "scooped and run" with very little advanced pre-hospital care carried out on-scene. However if the situation is a dire emergency or critical then calling 120 is still advised, as there is useful medical equipment on board the Ambulance vehicle.

Information desk:
Purchase your consultation booklet here. This will contain the record of your hospital visit to the outpatients department. Keep it for subsequent outpatient visits to the hospital, to save from having to buy a new booklet each time. More importantly, this allows the next physician to see your medical history. Outpatient Medical Records are not kept at Chinese hospitals. This should not be confused with Inpatient Medical Records, which are kept onsite. Always remember to tell any physician if you are currently taking any medications including any that you may have recently ceased taking, have any allergies to medicines or food/fluids, and give a concise medical history including any surgery you may have had in the past.

Windows 5 and 6:
These are where you pay. You order the medical consultation you want, then get the receipt and go see the doctor. There is no such thing as a General Practitioner in Chinese hospitals, which means you decide what type of specialist you want to see yourself. You must know how to order the services in Chinese. The cashier's desk is very busy in the morning from about 7:30am-9:30am as well as the period immediately after lunch 1:00pm-2:30pm. Keep in mind that the outpatient clinics are open Monday-Friday and Saturday mornings. For anything else outside these hours then proceed to the Emergency Department for a consultation.
[Click here for a list of services and their translations]

Windows 1 to 4:
These are the cashiers for everything else, paying for medicine or diagnostic services, paying for radiology or for some type of minor procedures e.g. sutures, small dressings etc.

X-ray, MRI, CT Scan:
Use window 1 or 2, across the lobby from windows 1-6. Remember to go to cashiers windows 1 to 4 first to pay for these, before going to the Radiology window.

Pharmacy ("Western" medicine):
On the first floor past cashier windows 1 to 4 then turn right, remember to go to cashiers windows 1 to 4 first to pay for medicine, before going to the Pharmacy window. TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) pharmacy is located on the second floor within the Outpatients Clinics.

Foreigners Clinic:
On the 5th floor. Bypass all the above and proceed straight ahead directly past the information counter at the main entrance, can see the main stairs and the elevators, take either to the fifth floor. Exiting the elevator to the right and the Foreigners Clinic is directly in front of you. Welcome, you have made it to the Foreigners Clinic! No need to worry about moving from counter to counter, or being in a room with 5 or more locals pushing to be seen next, with all and sundry looking on.

Warnings:
The reality is the care is not what is needed. For regular ills and chills, you can get treatment here. Serious conditions should go to a hospital in Shanghai. This is Dr. Middleton's recommendation. Sanitary practices are unsound. The hospital staff has poor aseptic technique, doctors often do not wash their hands or wear gloves when examining different patients. Doctors often do not do some rudimentary diagnostics, instead they decide what you have without employing differential diagnostic methodology. For example, they may not take your temperature, feel your pulse or take your blood pressure, they may simply ask you if you think you have a fever. They may run some or no diagnostic tests, sometimes they may try one treatment and then another. Rooms, even VIP rooms, are not clean. The cleaning company has not been given any sanitary standards to adhere to. Smoking inside the hospital is common, even by doctors, and it is not uncommon to see people spitting inside the hospital building, or a young child urinating on the floor with the assistance of an adult. These are not uncommon occurrences even in level 3 hospitals elsewhere in China.

Guide to the Hospital: