[Editor's Note: This is an introductory article about the two main hospitals in Dalian. We hope more articles about medical care will follow.]
It seems to me many people in this forum are a bit confused regarding where to go and what to do in case they need medical help. Well, let me introduce myself. I'm currently doing an internship at the First Hospital (Dalian yi ta yi yuan).
The two main hospitals in Dalian are the no 1 Hospital (in between Olympic and Renmin Square), and the no 2 Hospital at the old Medical university (near Xinghai Park).
If you need to go to either, get a taxi and say Chanchan lu yi da yi yuan. That will take you to the no.1 Hospital. For the no 2 Hospital say, Er yuan.
Here's a brief idea about the two hospitals.
For the no 1 Hospital:
The taxi should take you to the main gate facing the Parkson shopping centre in the morning. However, if it's in the evening, only the emergency ward will be open, so it will take you to the gate facing Renmin Square.
First, what you should do, is get a coupon (around 6rmb), at the counter. You'll be able to see which counter, because there will be quite a long line of people at that counter. If you feel like you want to skip the line, then head for the emergency section - it will have a shorter queue, because the coupon there is a bit more expensive - about 2rmb more. But the thing is that the doctors at the emergency ward hardly know any English, plus, they usually send the fresh resident doctors there, so you might not be able to convey your medical symptoms to them, with a real possibility of the the diagnosis going wrong. So, the line is worth waiting, because then you'll be seeing doctors who do know how to converse in broken English. I'm not saying all doctors are good at English, but communication should be easier, and they're usually veteran doctors.
Once you've got the coupon, they'll tell you where to go. All the floors have signs with directions and name plates in English. Just ask them which floor you have to go to (ji lou..yi, er , san, etc.). The doctors will check you up and send you for tests and write the medication, as well as were to go for the tests. You'll need to go back to the counter and pay for it (the tests). Hopefully you'll be covered by your insurance, because the cost of tests and medicines in China are surprisingly high. Once your tests are done, you have to go back to the doctor, who will then send you to get the medication. The pharmacy is on the first floor.
This is for the out-patient department. If you have a serious condition, (like a pregnancy or something else), they'll give you a room in the in-patient department.
There is also a second part to the First Hospital, in Wan sui jie - make sure you don't go there first, because that's completely in-patient department.
For the no 2 Hospital:
Basically the same procedure as above, except here you should go to the new glass building, and not the old building. The glass building is for out-patients and the other (older) building for in-patients. First get your coupon, and then go up to the relevant floor and give the coupon to the nurse at that station. They'll give you a number (like what you get in a bank), whereafter you'll have to wait for your turn. The rest of the procedure is the same as in the First Hospital.
Many people complain about the tidyness of the hospitals here - yes, it's a bit dirty, but keep in mind that China is a developing country, and trust me - it's a lot better than in other places. At least here it's relatively clean, and they have most fascilities and lab equipment. I suppose it's best to relax... don't expect it to be the same as in your home country.
There is no VIP or foreigner wards here. If you have to stay in the hospital, you may opt for better rooms, which means you'll get a TV, and share your room with only one more patient.
A couple of translations for everyday (medical) things in Pinyin:
1) fever- fa shao
2) cold-gan mao le
3) stomach ache- dudsi teng
4) diabetes- tang niao bing
5) feel sick- ping le
6) blood pressure- xue ya, high BP- gao xue ya, low BP- di xue ya
7) heart attack- Xin ji geng si
Well, that's just to get you started. Try to take a Chinese speaking person with you when you go, or PM me. There are about 21 of us foreign interns now, so feel free to be in touch with any of us.
I don't know much about the Maternity Hospital or the Children's Hospital elsewhere in the city, but the maternity ward in the Second Hospital is excellent. The doctors there know English perfectly well, and should be able to help you. The pediatrics section is also OK there. If you twist your ankle or break a bone or something, the orthopedic department in the First Hospital would be a good place to go to. The HOD there is excelent. For any gastric or digestive system disorders, I'll recommend the First Hospital.
Most Chinese people feel that the First Hospital is better than the Second one. I guess I would also recomment the No 1 Hospital over the No 2, but anyway, it's your choice.
[Editor's Note: The numbering system is not meant to imply difference in quality or funding.]
Hope this gives you all a basic idea... if you have any questions or medical problems, please feel free to PM me anytime!
Be safe!
anny789
A couple of translations for everyday (medical) things in Pinyin:
