My British friend went to a public hospital in Hangzhou. Cost: ¥45.

Kurokun

This contradicts everything people assume about healthcare in China.

My friend Oliver from Manchester ate something bad in Hangzhou. By midnight, he was... not okay.

Next morning, too weak for an international hospital, he walked into a small public hospital.

The timeline:
• Showed passport, paid ¥10 registration
• Saw a doctor in 15 minutes
• Blood test: ¥85, results in 40 minutes
• Diagnosis: bacterial food poisoning
• Prescription: pills + rice porridge for 24 hours
• Total: ¥45 for consultation + pills

Oliver: "In the UK this would be a 4-hour A&E wait. Here I was out in 2 hours. It cost less than my Uber."

I'm not saying public hospitals are perfect. But for routine stuff, they're fast, cheap, and competent.

For serious issues? Go international. For a stomach bug? Go public.

Anyone else had a surprisingly good public hospital experience?