Premier Li Keqiang Visits Yinchuan Smart Internet Hospital, Endorses National 'Internet + Healthcare' Demonstration Zone

Image source: WeChat account of the Chinese Government Network

Premier Li Keqiang visited the First People’s Hospital of Yinchuan. According to VCBeat, this hospital also serves as the base hospital for Haodf Online’s Yinchuan Smart Internet Hospital. At the hospital, he received a report on “Internet + Healthcare” initiatives and gave full affirmation to innovations such as remote outpatient consultations and remote diagnostics.

Previously, Vice Premier Sun Chunlan also inspected the remote specialist outpatient services of Haodf Online, encouraging social forces to build internet-based health service platforms.

Over the past 50 days, Yinchuan has welcomed inspections by two Premiers and received full affirmation from Premier Li Keqiang and Vice Premier Sun Chunlan. In his remarks, Premier Li Keqiang emphasized that Ningxia should establish a national-level “Internet + Healthcare” demonstration zone, with active support from the state.

Frequent visits by national leaders underscore the state’s high regard for the innovative service model of Yinchuan Smart Internet Hospital. As the core enterprise driving Ningxia’s “Internet + Healthcare” pilot initiatives, Wang Hang, Chairman of Yinchuan Smart Internet Hospital and CEO of Haodf Online, stated that the company would faithfully heed the Premier’s instructions, leverage the innovative advantages of its third-party platform, and employ internet-based models to address healthcare challenges in western China. Furthermore, it would fulfill its responsibility as a pioneer in the innovation pilot, accumulating experience and setting an example for healthcare innovation across the country.

Li Keqiang stated that there is immense potential to leverage “Internet Plus” to improve key areas of public welfare. In accordance with the directives of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we must deepen the implementation of the “Internet Plus” initiative, enabling residents in grassroots communities and impoverished regions—where it is currently difficult to directly allocate more high-quality resources—to access quality public services more conveniently, thereby promoting equity.

“Yinchuan aims to establish a national-level ‘Internet+ Healthcare’ demonstration zone. We hope you will effectively implement this initiative to benefit the public and provide replicable experience for the rest of China. You are expected to serve not only Ningxia but also patients in surrounding regions, striving to become a regional medical and health center for Northwest China,” said Li Keqiang during his visit to Yinchuan First People’s Hospital.

On April 25, Sun Chunlan, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, visited the remote expert outpatient clinic jointly operated by Yinchuan First People’s Hospital and Haodf Online. According to media reports, during her inspection, Sun Chunlan inquired in detail about the use of internet technologies to conduct telemedicine, optimize healthcare processes, and promote family doctor contract services. She pointed out that “Internet + Healthcare” is a significant measure to address the imbalance and inadequacy in the supply of medical resources. She emphasized the need to earnestly implement the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, accelerate the development of “Internet + Healthcare,” encourage social forces to build internet health service platforms, and establish a new model of health services.

According to statistics, doctors on the Haodf Online platform contributed nearly 2 million hours of fragmented time to society in 2017 alone. Currently, Haodf Online has served over 44 million patients across China, with more than 250,000 doctor-patient interactions occurring daily, achieving nationwide coverage.

On the same day as Vice Premier Sun Chunlan’s research visit, April 25, the State Council drafted the “Opinions on Promoting the Development of ‘Internet Plus Healthcare’,” which was officially released on April 28. The document explicitly states that the development of internet hospitals is permitted; online follow-up consultations for certain common and chronic diseases are allowed; and, after physicians have reviewed patients’ medical records, they are permitted to issue online prescriptions for certain common and chronic diseases.

Following the release of new guidance documents, the entire healthcare industry has accelerated its digital transformation, making online consultations an essential skill for physicians. Under this trend, doctors’ practices are no longer confined to physical hospitals. By establishing exclusive “online clinics” on open internet platforms, each physician can adopt a new model of practice where online and offline settings complement each other, thereby improving medical efficiency and enhancing patient satisfaction.