1. Acquiring Visa to China.

You should visit the closest Chinese embassy and apply for a regular visa (tourist visa) to China. In some countries the regular visa is for 1 month, in others – for 2 months. If you will get only one month visa, we will help you to extend the visa from here. It’s a simple and procedure and you will get your extended visa in 7 days.

If you need an Invitation letter for your visa application – please let us know and we will send you one.

2. When to come?

The best time to arrive is at the beginning of the week. It would be the most convenient time for us and for the hospital staff, and you will not have to wait a whole weekend to start all the procedures of admission, doctors’ visits and tests. Regularly, all those procedures will start at the next day of your arrival or even at the same day if you arrive in the morning.

3. Money:

what is the current rate of exchange?

http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html

Your extra expenses (shopping, eating, site seeing…) depend on how you will spend your free time…  It is an opportunity to see and enjoy Beijing, its markets, restaurants and cultural assets (like the Forbidden City or the Great Wall) and tourism can be expensive anywhere…. 

We recommend that you will bring with you between 1000 USD to 2000 USD a month in cash, or available by international Credit card. 

It is possible to open a local bank account very easily, and use a local ATM card.

You can change USD or withdraw cash with international credit card in the Bank Of China near by the hospital.

4. What is the time difference between Beijing and…(major cities in the world and the U.S.) ?

 http://ticket.9588.com/help/ehelp_5.aspx

5. What is the patient rooms like?

We have two types of rooms: a standard room and a bigger room. Since we have only few big rooms we reserve them according to special needs of patients and their families.

Every patient room has private toilet and bathroom, a small kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, toaster oven and a mineral water tank. One patient bed and another bed for accompanying family member (another folding bed can be provided on request if there is more than one accompanying relative.)

TV (LCD screen), DVD and wireless internet access if you will choose to bring your laptop with you (you should have a wireless connection option in your laptop in order to use the wireless connection.)

Water: the hospital provides two water tanks per week. You should notify the staff when your water tank is finished.

Supply:

Please notice!

It is the policy of the hospital that we do not provide toilet paper. For your convenience, upon your arrival you will find in your room two rolls of toilet paper, as well as coffee, tea and paper cups.

When this supply will be finished you are requested to buy for yourself a supply according to your taste and budget. Thank you!

 Others:

Towel: one washing towel is provided for the patient only. Please make sure to bring towels with you for each accompanying family member. 

Padded mat: One padded mat for the patient is provided after surgery/ lumbar puncture procedure.

If more than one mat is needed you will be charged for it at the   end of your stay.

Pads: the hospital does not provide pads for patients. Please bring a small supply with you and upon your arrival our staff will help you to order the suitable pads.

6. What do we eat? When? Where? And how much it costs?

You have two main options from which you can order your daily meals:

1.    From the Chinese restaurant that provides food and ordering services to all the hospitals patients and staff. This option is very cheap and convenient. However, might not always suit your taste and/or diet restrictions.

2.    From the Café that is located in the center of our hospital and provides western food such as: sandwiches, pasta, salads etc.

(And of course - espresso and cappuccino for those of you who are not yet ready to replace it with the Chinese tea…)

Costs:

If you order your meals from the Chinese restaurant, three meals a day will cost about 50 RMB per day for one person (5 USD).

If you order your meals from the Café, one meal will cost about: 20-30 RMB. (about 10 USD per day)

Our staff will ask you to order your food one day in advance. You can order each meal wither from the Chinese restaurant or from the Café.    

Other options:

You can also order Western food (Sizzler/McDonald’s): it's a little bit more expensive (40-80 RMB per meal + 24 RMB delivery fee.)

You do not have to order food every lunch and dinner. You can go for shopping every few days and buy anything you like:

There are three big supermarkets in 5 minutes taxi ride from the hospital. (Including Walmart and the French supermarket Carrefour.)

Our international department staff will be happy to show you around and take you for your first shopping trips.

You may also like to explore the wonderful variety of Beijing’s restaurants. (Peking Roast Duck Restaurant is a must!J)

Commune Kitchen: You can also use our commune kitchen to cook simple meals. The commune kitchen has electrical burners, blender, sterilizer and kitchen ware for your use.

7. Laundry:

Laundry services are given at the hospital. You may hand your

Laundry to the head-nurse and get your laundry back the next day. No need to mark your laundry. Laundry services cost is counted by pieces. Laundry order list can be found on the nurse station.

8. Computers and electricity:

·       The voltage system in China is 220 volts.

·       The Chinese electric socket is similar to that of Australia. 

·       Please bring with you electric converters and adaptors for any kind of electric machine you are thinking of bringing with you. (Hair dryer, shaving machine, Laptop, etc.) They are small and easy to carry, so we recommend that you bring them with you instead of buying them here. That way you could use your laptop/toothbrush on your first night without needing to go find one all over the city…

·       American DVD films may not work on our DVD player. However, the newest films can be easily purchased in Beijing in less than 1$.

·       You can leave your laptop at home and still stay connected!

A commune room for the foreign patients and their accompanying family members is available for you – you can use the computers and the internet (out of charge), you can watch TV, read, or meet other people…