About Boao Lecheng

Boao Lecheng, in Qionghai, Hainan, is an international medical tourism pilot zone approved by China’s State Council in 2013. It brings together several medical institutions and offers a regulated route to selected urgently needed imported medicines and devices. For a patient exploring an overseas treatment, the practical question is which institution can assess and deliver it.

Lecheng is a medical destination with multiple providers. Prescribing, treatment, billing and follow-up belong to individual receiving institutions. A useful enquiry identifies the product, indication, hospital and clinical team, turning a general treatment lead into something that can be assessed.

The special-access framework covers qualifying products marketed overseas but not yet marketed in mainland China. A receiving institution must assess the patient and the applicable requirements. Policy eligibility alone does not establish stock availability or immediate access.

Lecheng also supports real-world data research using structured records from clinical practice. Treatment, real-world research and clinical trials involve different arrangements. Patients should understand the relevant consent, follow-up and costs before taking part.

Care opportunities in Lecheng

Innovative medicines and devices: establish the actual pathway

If a treating doctor has suggested an overseas product, begin with its exact name, intended indication and previous treatments. The receiving team can check the clinical requirements, risks, alternatives and supply position.

The value is a verifiable treatment option. Novelty alone does not establish suitability; the local oncologist’s assessment, test results and full treatment history help the receiving doctor judge the case.

Clinical assessment: fit the opportunity to the patient

Institutions within the zone have different specialties and clinical resources. Ruijin Hospital Hainan and the Boao Lecheng campus of Hainan General Hospital are examples of providers with their own clinical and research programmes. The appropriate destination depends on the disease, proposed treatment and support required.

Assessment also needs to consider fitness, other illnesses, monitoring and urgent care arrangements. International patients should establish who takes responsibility for treatment and how care will be coordinated afterwards.

Continuity: plan beyond the first visit

Some treatments require repeat visits, sustained supply and monitoring over time. Ask about the planned course, time needed in Hainan, follow-up tests and communication with the receiving team after returning home.

If medication may leave the zone or cross a border, confirm the applicable rules separately with the provider and the destination authorities. Permission for clinical use does not establish unrestricted purchase or international carriage.

Receiving institutions and clinical teams

Ruijin Hospital Hainan

Clinical care and research platform

Ruijin Hospital Hainan is one of the institutions in Boao Lecheng. Hainan’s drug regulator has reported its participation in real-world research work. The hospital must confirm the relevant department, team and current intake pathway for a proposed treatment. Shanghai and Hainan appointments require separate confirmation.

View official information

Hainan General Hospital, Boao Lecheng campus

Clinical use and study of innovative medicines and devices

The campus describes oncology, rare diseases, complex metabolic disease and neurodegenerative conditions among its focus areas. For a cancer treatment enquiry, establish the exact product, receiving clinician and delivery requirements. An initial records submission can help clarify whether further specialist assessment is appropriate.

View official information

Study results describe selected patient groups, not an individual doctor’s success rate. Availability, case acceptance and the treating team require hospital confirmation.

Your international care journey

Before travelling internationally, submit records and identify the receiving institution. Confirm clinical assessment, product access, treatment location and the expected fee range. Arrange visas, transport, accommodation and support after the provider confirms the visit. Lecheng is in Qionghai; plan around the actual clinic location. For repeated treatment, establish the return-visit schedule and monitoring needed while at home.

Share your records and questions
Send the diagnosis, pathology, imaging and treatment history. Explain whether you want a second opinion, information about a treatment or an in-person visit. We help organise the records and identify missing information.
Confirm the specialty and acceptance
The relevant service confirms whether it can accept the case and whether pathology review or more records are needed. The hospital determines whether remote assessment or a multidisciplinary opinion is appropriate.
Agree appointments, costs and travel
Confirm the campus, first appointment, proposed assessment and payment requirements before arranging visas, accommodation, transport and interpreting. Discuss caregivers and length of stay when repeated treatment is expected.
Attend assessment and discuss the plan
The clinicians assess the case, arrange necessary tests and explain suitable options, expected benefits and risks. Discuss costs and logistics alongside the clinical plan before deciding on the next step.
Stay informed during treatment
Agreed support can include appointments, interpreting and communication during care. Keep track of questions and clinical feedback, and review schedules, costs and family arrangements if the treatment plan changes.
Return home with a follow-up plan
Before departure, collect the discharge summary, pathology and imaging, medicines and follow-up plan. Clarify pending reports and contact arrangements, with support for communication between local and treating clinicians where agreed.

What to prepare for the first enquiry

Alongside pathology, imaging and a treatment timeline, include the generic drug name or device name under consideration, the treating doctor’s recommendation, relevant molecular results, current medicines and functional status. If no specific treatment has been identified, explain the diagnosis, prior therapies and the question you want a specialist to address.

Diagnosis & pathology

Diagnosis summary, complete pathology, immunohistochemistry, available molecular tests and where tissue is held.

Original imaging

Recent and pretreatment imaging studies with reports and dates, so changes can be compared.

Treatment timeline

Operations, radiotherapy plans, each drug regimen, responses and major side effects; current medicines and allergies.

Your practical needs

Home country, preferred language, possible travel dates, caregiver needs and the questions you want answered.

Start with the records you already have. We can help identify gaps; do not arrange additional tests solely to make an enquiry.

See the full records checklist

Practical details to settle before travel

Costs & payment

Ask what the hospital estimate includes, deposits, additional charges and refund arrangements. Plan travel and living costs separately. Insurance coverage and direct billing require confirmation.

Language & records

Confirm interpreting for appointments, communication during treatment and the language of records. Our China coordination includes Chinese and English support; other languages need advance confirmation of availability and arrangements.

Campus, accommodation & caregivers

Consultations, tests and admission may take place at different sites. Distance, accessibility, caregiver rules and follow-up frequency all affect the itinerary and should be considered once the clinical plan is clearer.

Length of stay & returning home

Assessment, surgery, radiotherapy and cellular treatment have different schedules. Ask the hospital for the expected course, allowing for results and changes in the plan. Confirm readiness to return home with the clinical team.

How Chirona can help

From organising records and contacting an appropriate specialty to travel in China and follow-up at home, we help connect the practical steps. Tell us the diagnosis, treatment so far and the question you most want answered.

Make your history easier to review

Organise treatments and key reports, help with necessary translation and bring the important questions to the clinician.

Find the appropriate clinical service

Enquire with the relevant specialty, follow up on record requirements and help clarify acceptance and appointments.

Coordinate the practical steps in China

Within the agreed scope, help with visa documentation, travel, arrival transport, accommodation and accompaniment.

Keep communication connected

Help organise consultation feedback, records for home and follow-up requirements, with continued contact as agreed.

The hospital and clinicians make diagnostic, treatment and acceptance decisions. Chirona provides consultation and care coordination within the agreed scope.

Explore our service process

Questions before you decide

Is Boao Lecheng a single hospital?

No. It is a pilot zone containing multiple medical institutions. Treatment, charges and follow-up must be agreed with a specific provider and clinical team.

Can I buy a special-access medicine directly?

Special access is a clinical pathway requiring assessment and the applicable institutional process. Supply, prescribing, administration and any take-home arrangements need individual confirmation.

How can Chirona help?

Within our agreed service scope, we can help organise and translate records, prepare questions, clarify intake requirements and coordinate travel arrangements. Clinical suitability, prescribing and treatment decisions remain with the receiving doctors. We confirm the coordination scope and arrangements before work begins.

Can I request one of the specialists featured here?

Tell us your preference and we can help enquire. The hospital confirms acceptance, the specialist’s involvement and who provides outpatient or inpatient care. It may also recommend another suitable clinician within the specialty.

Can I contact Chirona before choosing a hospital?

Yes. Share the diagnosis, treatment history and the decision you need help with. We can organise the questions to consider when comparing hospitals and explain the coordination available.

Does submitting records confirm treatment?

Submitting records starts the assessment. The hospital must confirm acceptance and clinical suitability and may require more information or in-person tests. Appointment confirmation, the treatment plan and costs should be clarified separately.

Sources & further reading

Profiles draw on the institutional sources below, including historical material where it explains a programme’s development. Appointments, services and research recruitment can change and need confirmation when enquiring.