China's regional medical centres bring life-saving care closer to home

China's push to expand regional medical centres is helping patients access critical care closer to home. Before these facilities opened, many travelled hundreds of kilometres to major cities for life-saving treatment. Now, specialised hospitals in provinces like Yunnan are reducing the need for long-distance transfers while improving local healthcare services.

In early February 2025, Li Yingshan's mother was diagnosed with a type A aortic dissection—a severe cardiovascular condition. Local hospitals in Qujing lacked the expertise to perform the necessary surgery, so she was rushed to Fuwai Yunnan Hospital in Kunming. There, she underwent a six-hour operation to replace a section of her aorta and later recovered.

The Fuwai Hospital's cardiovascular centre in Yunnan is part of a broader initiative to bring advanced medical care to underserved regions. Before such centres existed, patients with life-threatening illnesses often faced gruelling journeys to Beijing or Shanghai for treatment. Emergency transfers from Yunnan to Beijing were once routine, but now more people receive care locally. The impact of these centres is already visible. Between January and August 2025, Fuwai Yunnan Hospital saw outpatient and emergency visits jump by 80.52 percent compared to the same period in 2022. Patient discharges also rose by 45.13 percent. Beyond Yunnan, Baoding Hospital of Guang'anmen Hospital launched an international medical campus in September 2025 as part of the same initiative. The national regional medical centre programme aims to strengthen local healthcare systems. By improving public health awareness and promoting preventive care, these facilities are designed to build lasting medical capacity in areas that previously relied on distant hospitals.

The expansion of regional medical centres is cutting travel times for patients and easing pressure on major city hospitals. With more specialised treatments available locally, fewer people need to leave their provinces for urgent care. The programme continues to grow, with new facilities like the Baoding Hospital campus further extending access to high-quality healthcare.