Boao Lecheng zone boosts medical tourism in Hainan
Area strengthens nation’s opening-up, dual-circulation development pattern
Boao Lecheng InternationalMedical Tourism Pilot Zone inQionghai,Hai nan province , willstrengthen China’ s higher-levelopening-up and dual-circulationdevelopment pattern,accordingto one of its seniorofficials.
Established with the approval ofthe State Council in 2013 andgrantedcertain preferential policies ,the pilot zone is located in Boaot own of Hai nan Free Trade Port .It aim sat providing high qualitymedicaltourism- relatedservices to visitors from home and abroad.
Among its plannedofferings arecutting-edge medicalproductsand solutions,including speciallylicensedmedical treatments,cancerprevention and care , health management services,rehabilitation,aesthetic medicine and anti aging treatment .“As China’ s first and only international medicaltourism pilot zone , the Le ch eng pilot zone has enjoyed many exclusivefavorable policies ,” said Liu Zhef eng , deputydirector of the pilot zone administration.
“Withsupportfromthecentraland local authorities, we havemade a lot of breakthroughs ininstitutional innovations, whichhelp improve management anddevelopment of the pilot zone,thus contributing to its furtheropening-upandpilottrials.”
The zone, also known as BoaoHopeCity,hascometoberegardedasamajorsuccessfortheHainanFTP. It is one of the 11 keyindustrialparksdesignedtogrowtourism, modern services andadvancedtechnologiesinHainanFTP,Liusaid.
Inadditiontopreferentialpoliciessuch as zero tariffs, low taxrates and simplified tax procedures— which are benefits oflocating in the Hainan FTP —Boao Lecheng pilot zone is alsoallowed to introduce new andinnovative medicines, medicaldevices and technologies thathavenotyetbeenapprovedintheChinese mainland but approvedoverseas.Inspecialcases,patientsareevenallowedtobringmedicinesoutofthearea.
So far , dozens of world-leadingpharmaceuticalcompanies haveestablished wide- rangingcooperationwith the pilot zone , and about 140 types of medicaldevice sand 100 medicines yet tobe approved in the Chinese mainland for cancer and rare diseasetreatmenthave been introduced in the region . LiuYan,v ice- president of Chinesebiotech enterprise Bei Gene Ltd , said that specialpolicy measures for the pilotzone have created very supportiveconditions for globally innovativemedicine sand medicaldevices to speedup their launch in the China market.
In January 2020, the companyinked an agreement with UnitedKingdom-based EU SAP harm a fordevelopment and commercializationof the latter’ s orphan biologic productssiltuximabanddinutuximabbetainChina.
The drug shave been approvedin other regions for treatment ofidiopathic multi centric Castle man’ s disease and certain types ofne ur ob las to ma , respectively . In November , dinutuxim ab beta was used to treat a young ne uro blast om a patient from Hainan province . To date , treatment with dinutuximab beta has been provided to around 20 juvenile ne ur ob las to ma patients.
“Thanks to the policy innovationsin Lecheng, cutting-edgetreatments become available forpatientswithgreen-trackapprovals,whichalsoencouragebiotechandpharmaceuticalcompaniestoinnovateandforayintotheChinamarket,”LiuofBeiGenesaid.
In April , the centralauthoritiesannouncedsetting up of a ne- prescriptioncenter in Lecheng, the first of its kind in China . The center will provide third party informationservices for prescription drug sales agencies , and get connected with internet-based hospitals,prescription systems of Ha in an medical facilities,various prescriptionmedicine sales platforms,health insuranceinformation platforms,payment and settlement institutions and commercial insuranceinstitutions . All prescription drugs , except for drugs specificallyregulated under the national drug administration law , can be sold through thee- prescriptioncenter on the internetwithout any other authorizationsrequired,according to a guidelinejointlyrelease d byt he NationalDevelopment and ReformCommission and the Ministry of Commerce.
“Lecheng is becoming increasinglyattractivetomedicaltouristsnotonlyfromChinabutalsofromSoutheastAsiaandBeltandRoadInitiative-related countries andregions,”Liusaid,referringtotheimpactofthenewpolicy.
Another major innovation inthe zone is a trailblazing druginsuranceprogramlaunchedlastyear,whichcoversforeignmedicinesyettobeapproveddomestically,withanannualpremiumof29 yuan($4.53)forHainanislanders,and39yuanforresidentsinotherChineseregions.
Theinsurancecoversupto1millionyuanindrugcostsforallthoseeligible,andwillextendtomedicaldevicessoon,Liusaid.
Special policy measures for the pilot zone have created very supportive conditions for globally innovative medicines and medical devices to speed up their launch in the China market.”
Liu Yan, vice-president of BeiGene Ltd