(Photo : A Taiwanese doctors get mainland license)

The Mainland Chinese Government had granted professional licenses to a total of 577 Taiwanese doctors since 2009, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said today.

Like Us on Facebook

The statistics was released during a seminar on cross-Strait medical exchanges in Beijing. Taiwanese medical graduates were only allowed to hold mainland licenses starting 2007.

Since the Mainland China and Taiwan signed a medical cooperation pact in 2010, more and more Taiwanese doctors have flocked to the mainland to get their license and pursue their career in the medical field.

Warm Cross-Strait Medical Cooperation

The NHFPC said the increasing number of Taiwan doctors who are applying for licenses on the mainland shows that the cross-Strait medical cooperation continues to be embraced by Taiwan and China.

While Taiwan doctors are now going to the mainland to pursue their medical careers, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council said the number of mainland tourists who are looking for medical services in Taiwan has increased last year.

Most of mainland tourists come to Taiwan under the health and medical tourism permit that the Taiwan authorities launched last year. The program has since attracted 30,000 well-off mainlanders, the council said.

The Taiwan health and medical tourist program allows residents living anywhere on the mainland to travel to the island on an individual basis. Regular tourism only allows residents of 26 major cities on the mainland to travel to Taiwan.

High-End Medical Services

Among the medical services availed by mainland tourists were high-end physical checkups, cosmetic surgery or anti-aging therapies, and other high-end medical services.

According to a report by the state-owned People's Daily, well-off mainland tourists come to Taiwan for its quality examinations and management packages. Source said medical tourists were mostly rich male businessmen who are between the ages of 44 and 55. Last year's medical tourists mostly came from the provinces of Jiangsu, Fujian, and Hebei.

 

On average, customer spends CNY7,500 ($1,250) for medical or health packages, based on individual needs and medical conditions.