Medical Guide: Understanding China's Hospital System

Fudan University Hospital Rankings

Verified with 2023 Fudan University Hospital Rankings and NHSA policies

1. China's Hospital Tier System

(National standardized classification)

Tier	Chinese Name	Key Characteristics	% of All Hospitals	Example
Grade 3A	三级甲等	- Highest accreditation - 500+ beds - All specialist departments	12%	Peking Union Medical College Hospital
Grade 3B	三级乙等	- 300-500 beds - Limited research capabilities	23%	Provincial capital hospitals
Grade 2A	二级甲等	- Regional centers - 100-300 beds	41%	County-level hospitals
Grade 1	一级医院	- Community clinics - Basic care only	24%	Subdistrict health centers

Source: 2023 National Health Commission Report

2. Specialty Rankings (Top 3 by Fudan 2023)

Specialty	#1 Hospital	#2 Hospital	#3 Hospital
Cardiology	Fuwai Hospital (Beijing)	Zhongshan Hospital(Shanghai)	Anzhen Hospital(Beijing)
Oncology	Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences(Beijing)	Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (Guangzhou)	Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center
Orthopedics	Beijing Jishuitan Hospital	Shanghai Sixth People's	301 Hospital (Beijing)

Full Rankings: Fudan Hospital Rankings (No English Version)

Please use auto translator

3. Key Hospital Types

A. Public Hospitals

• Tertiary (Grade 3):

  • 1,500+ nationwide

  • Handle complex cases and medical education

• Secondary (Grade 2):

  • 7,000+ nationwide

  • Focus on regional healthcare

B. Private Hospitals

• International: JCI-accredited (e.g., United Family)

• Specialty Chains: Dental/ophthalmology (e.g., Arrail Dental)

C. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Hospitals

• 4,000+ nationwide

• Integrate Western diagnostics with TCM therapies

4. Navigating the System

For Foreigners:

1. Grade 3A hospitals offer best medical support

2. Grade 3A hospitals Int'l Dept 国际医疗部 provide English support and streamline billing for international insurance

3. Private hospitals streamline billing for international insurance

4. Emergency codes:

   • 120 (Ambulance)

   • 999 (Private EMS in some cities)

   • 12320(Public Health Hotline)