When I learned there was a new hospital opening just north of the 798 Art District, I was a bit surprised. We live a short 3.2 kilometers from Beijing United, Amcare, and not much further from the Sino-Japan Friendship Hospital and even closer to the Wangjing Hospital. In fact, I’ve never lived so close to so many medical facilities in my life, but when I got the invitation to attend the open house of Oasis Healthcare, I knew I had to walk the six blocks to get there from my Wangjing apartment and see what the latest entry into the Beijing medical scene looked like. I was not disappointed.
To say that Oasis Healthcare is the nicest looking hospital in Beijing is an understatement; it’s the nicest looking hospital I’ve ever visited on the planet. The wide hallways and spacious lobby, all tastefully decorated from the carpeting to the furniture, give the impression that one is entering a 5-star hotel rather than a medical facility. It simply felt inviting and calming. Those traits carried up to the medical wards and in-patient rooms, which, although lacking carpeting, were still nicely appointed. I was particularly pleased to see that the consultation rooms in the pediatrics department had cheerful wallpaper and kid-friendly art on the walls so as to make visits for children a little less threatening. Being a new hospital, all the equipment was also state-of-the-art, such as the MRI, CT scanner, and neonatal care units.
As Darren Yang, the hospital Vice President, led me through the various clinics, he was quick to point out that although the facilities and equipment are all new, beautiful, and of the highest quality, it is the caliber of the staff that matters most. Several departments are already up and running, such as the dental and the Traditional Chinese Medicine clinics, both of which were designed and are staffed by some of the best doctors in China. However, Mr. Yang said they were also taking their time to find great doctors and nurses for all the clinics and to make sure they have all their procedures in place before the hospital will officially open the rest of the departments in March or April. If they can find staff to match the caliber of their facilities, Oasis Healthcare is set to become one of China’s premier medical treatment facilities. That the hospital is just minutes from our door does not hurt either.
Photos: Kara Chin
