Call to expedite visas for ASEAN patients

A national political adviser has called for faster and more flexible visa processing to improve healthcare access for people from Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations.

Sui Guohua, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the nation's top political advisory body, suggested that the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and other border provinces streamline approval procedures and create fast-track visa-on-arrival channels for emergency patients from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Sui, who is also vice-chair of the regional government of Guangxi, said patients should be allowed to apply for visa extensions based on treatment plans and documentation from medical institutions. The move would address what she described as a key bottleneck where "visa procedures still affect medical convenience" for those seeking cross-border healthcare.

Sui made the suggestions during this year's two sessions — the annual meetings of the nation's top legislature, the National People's Congress, and the CPPCC National Committee — that concluded in Beijing on Thursday and Wednesday, respectively.

Guangxi, which borders Vietnam, has in recent years used its geographical location and medical resources to strengthen health ties with its southern neighbors. In September, the China-ASEAN Healthcare Cooperation Center opened in the regional capital of Nanning. The 838-bed facility is equipped with a helicopter pad for air rescues.

Another example is the "Life Express 1369", a cross-border rescue route linking the Chinese city of Dongxing with its Vietnamese neighbor Mong Cai. The channel, named after the border marker where the two countries meet, was launched in 2016 after local hospital officials and border authorities created a way to bypass regular port hours for medical emergencies.

Sui urged authorities to upgrade the channel to "provide faster and more effective care for critically ill patients in the border area", building on a system that has already facilitated nearly 700 lifesaving missions since its launch.

From 2021 to 2025, medical facilities in Guangxi's border areas recorded more than 53,000 outpatient visits and 6,000 hospital admissions from Vietnamese patients, according to official data. At the Dongxing people's hospital alone, Vietnamese outpatient visits rose to 2,788 in 2024 from 891 in 2014.

Sui also called on authorities to standardize the handling of international patients in response to the surge. Her proposals include introducing overseas commercial health insurance, creating dedicated payment channels for foreign patients and establishing clear pricing for medical services and pharmaceutical supplies.

Contact the writers at lilei@chinadaily.com.cn