GE Healthcare Launches 'ZhiTongBao' Platform to Tap into China's Billion-Dollar Medical Equipment Aftermarket, Already Deployed in Over 100 Non-Public Hospitals

On March 26, Blue Whale Finance learned that GE Healthcare launched its first digital customized maintenance service platform for non-public healthcare institutions, “Zhi Tong Bao.” The platform aims to bring the mature digital service systems and “gold standard” equipment services already established in public hospitals to non-public hospitals, creating a hospital-wide, one-stop, high-quality equipment maintenance and managed service system. This initiative is designed to enhance the quality of medical services while helping hospitals reduce costs and improve efficiency.

It is reported that modern medical equipment accounts for more than 50% of the total value of fixed assets in hospitals across China, with the majority being high-end devices. The routine maintenance and upkeep of these devices are closely linked to their service life. Consequently, the after-sales maintenance market for medical equipment has been experiencing rapid growth. Data shows that in 2018, the market size of China’s third-party after-sales repair industry for medical equipment was approximately RMB 70 billion.

Regarding the launch of a maintenance service platform tailored for non-public healthcare institutions, Zheng Jieming, Vice President of GE Healthcare China and General Manager of Customer Services, told Blue Whale Finance: “GE Healthcare has been deeply engaged in the non-public sector for many years, during which we have observed evolving customer needs. In 2018, we established a dedicated customer service team for non-public healthcare providers. After three years of collaboration and practical experience, we have continuously optimized and adjusted our service offerings for this sector, resulting in ‘Zhitongbao,’ a customized, hospital-wide service product designed specifically for non-public hospitals.”

According to its introduction, Zhitongbao encompasses five major service dimensions: equipment operation assurance, expansion of clinical functionalities, departmental talent development, in-hospital asset management and operations, and hospital brand building. Currently, Zhitongbao has been implemented in over 100 non-public hospitals, safeguarding the operation and full lifecycle management of nearly 300 large-scale radiology devices. In addition, GE Healthcare has established remote connections with more than 600 non-public hospitals, leveraging platform-based services to ensure the healthy and efficient operation of thousands of devices with greater speed and efficiency.

As a user of GE Healthcare’s Zhitongbao service, Jin Peng, Vice President of Shuyang County Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, stated, “Non-public medical institutions inevitably consider cost-effectiveness, but the quality of medical services is even more critical. Only with high-quality care can we meaningfully address efficiency and development. Therefore, it is inaccurate to simply measure how many patient scans a device can complete in a day; the key lies in the value that stable equipment operation brings to clinical practice. Taking our hospital’s Stroke Center as an example, efficient and stable imaging quality enables rapid life-saving interventions for patients.”

“In addition to equipment stability, talent stability is also crucial for medical institutions,” stated Dr. Liang Weifeng, Dean of Kangdaifu (International) Health Management Center. “The training programs provided by Zhitongbao, tailored to different talent tiers within hospitals, not only help our physicians and technologists enhance their radiological diagnostic capabilities but also broaden the horizons of management personnel, facilitating communication with more industry leaders and improving the hospital’s operational management.”

Zheng Jieming stated, “In the inaugural year of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s big health industry will usher in significant opportunities for high-quality development. High-quality development must begin with high-quality innovation. For GE Healthcare, innovation lies partly in breakthroughs in equipment technology and partly in the continuous service upgrades for equipment already installed in hospitals, thereby infusing innovation into the entire lifecycle of the equipment. GE Healthcare will leverage its strengths to provide leading-edge equipment, accompanied by customized services, and cultivate more highly skilled healthcare professionals. We also believe that the enhanced comprehensive capabilities of non-public healthcare institutions will play an increasingly important role in areas such as shifting prevention upstream and chronic disease management, ultimately driving the entire industry toward the goal of a Healthy China.”