On May 12th, Renji Hospital announced their inclusion in DNV GL & VeChain’s Low Carbon Digital Ecosystem. As a historic and reputable hospital in China, their strategy and commitment to social responsibility stands out from the complex domestic healthcare industry.
There are many indications that the healthcare sector will soon undergo a massive overhauling in China, and for good reason. Recent statistics show that China has one of the lowest doctor-to-patient ratios in the world, a problem exacerbated by an imbalanced population of seniors due to decades of single-children families. Additionally, Chinese patients are mostly free from the insurance-based restrictions that westerners are more familiar with, so they tend to gravitate towards provincial capitals and Tier-One cities where the biggest and best hospitals are located. The result is that large hospitals are overwhelmed and oversaturated with long lines and unsatisfied patients, leading to violent attacks on doctors and nurses.
Another problem stems from the lack of privatized clinics. With reputation being so vital to success, lesser-qualified doctors have little incentive to set up basic-care facilities in more rural areas. To remedy this, the National Health Commission of China is piloting a program to make it easier for doctors to set up private clinics. These medical clinics could be effective at stemming the flow of low-urgency patients into bigger urban centers, but must find a way to convince their patients that the medical care received is of a suitable standard.
One of the ways that hospitals and medical care facilities can do this is through digitalization. In 2014, hospitals began integrating Alipay (Alibaba’s financial platform) to book appointments and pay expenses. Still, the
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