Russians flocking to border city for medical treatment

CHANGCHUN — It took Dmitrii three days on two flights and a cross-border bus to reach his dentist and have his teeth repaired.

But for the 32-year-old Russian who lives in a village near the Arctic Circle, the recent trip to Hunchun, a small Chinese city on the border, was worth the effort.

“The dentists here are skillful and charge a reasonable price,” said Dmitrii, who spent about 10,000 yuan ($1,450) to get his teeth repaired. “In my hometown, the same treatment would cost me more than three times that price.”

Besides the considerable price difference, Dmitrii also likes not having to wait long for an appointment. “In Hunchun, you can just walk into the clinic and get the treatment immediately,” he said.

Artem Kechin, who came to China with Dmitrii, went to Hunchun’s traditional Chinese medicine hospital for a spine treatment. He plans to have an operation the next time he visits the city.

“In Russia, more and more patients are embracing Chinese dentists and TCM. Seeing doctors, along with traveling and shopping, are what draw Russians to China,” Kechin said.

Over the past five years, an average of 300,000 Russians a year traveled to Hunchun, with many of them being medical tourists. This influx of patients has seen the number of local private dental clinics increase to nearly 100.

In the city’s TCM hospital, massage practitioner An Sheng was busy treating Russian patients.

“We treat around 50 Russian patients every month,” he said. “Massage, moxibustion and cupping are especially popular among Russians who suffer from spinal osteoarthritis, slipped disks, diabetes and high blood pressure.”

To better serve foreign patients, the local government has set up a center to collect and provide information on hospital charges and introduced a rating system for hospitals to encourage better services.

Many hospitals have also hired Russian translators and set up designated areas to attend to Russian patients.

Besides treating Russian patients, medical institutions in Hunchun are also looking to promote TCM in Russia.

“To meet the high Russian demand for TCM, we will strengthen our cooperation with Russian hospitals in the future,” An said.