Anne Zhang

    zhangy49@gmail.com

    EXPENSES for outpatient and inpatient services at Shenzhen People’s Hospital were the highest among the city’s 24 general medicine public hospitals during the first half of the year, according to the city’s health authority yesterday.

    The average costs of outpatient and inpatient services at the city’s general hospitals were 165 yuan (US$26) and 8,841 yuan per patient each time.

    The Futian District People’s Hospital is the least expensive among the city’s eight top-class general medicine public hospitals, with its outpatient and inpatient costs at about 115 yuan and 7,826 yuan.

    Qian Ziliang, deputy chief of the Futian hospital, attributed the low cost to its practices of reducing unnecessary medical checks and excessive prescription medications for patients.

    “Medications for a single prescription shouldn’t contain more than a two-week dose or cost more than 500 yuan at my hospital,” Qian told Shenzhen Daily yesterday.

    A patient had to pay an average of 360 yuan for outpatient services and 13,991 yuan for hospitalization at Shenzhen People’s Hospital, making it the most expensive among peers.

    Peking University Shenzhen Hospital and Shenzhen No. 2 People’s Hospital charged an average of 308 yuan and 289 yuan for outpatient services, respectively, and 13,705 yuan and 13,551 yuan for hospitalization, making them the second- and third-most expensive general medicine public hospitals in Shenzhen.

    At University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Hospital, a pilot facility for national public medicare reforms, the average outpatient service cost was 288 yuan and the average price for hospitalization was 9,480 yuan.