Guizhou Southwest Internet Hospital Officially Launches to Alleviate Healthcare Access Challenges in Southwest China

Recently, the Southwest Internet Hospital, jointly established by Gangling Group and Guizhou Province, was officially launched. Based in Puding County, Guizhou Province, it is China’s first internet hospital to directly provide online healthcare services to community-level patients and those in remote areas. Serving Guizhou, covering the Southwest region, and reaching across China, it aims to ultimately realize the vision of “ensuring dignified healthcare for all” by building a comprehensive tiered diagnosis and treatment system.

Enhancing Integrated Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Service Capabilities in Southwest China

For a long time, western China, particularly its rural areas, has faced a shortage of medical and pharmaceutical resources. At the invitation of Guizhou Province, Gangling Group (which owns subsidiary brands such as 1 Drug Network, 1 Clinic, and Fangkuai 1) reached a consensus with the provincial government in November 2015 on “Internet + Healthcare” cooperation. Thus, the Southwest Internet Hospital was established.

Zhang Keshuai, Vice President of Gangling Group and CEO of the 1st Diagnosis Internet Healthcare Business Group, stated that Southwest Internet Hospital primarily addresses healthcare access and medication procurement challenges in southwestern China across three dimensions.

First, leveraging internet technology to provide convenience for patients: Patients can use the “1Zhen” mobile client to connect with over 300 contracted specialist physicians from Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Xi’an, and other cities for remote video consultations and electronic prescription issuance. Medication delivery is then fulfilled by Yihao Pharmacy, a subsidiary of Gangling Group.

Secondly, it collaborates with hospitals to provide supporting services: During the diagnosis and treatment process, if examinations or laboratory tests are required, patients will be referred to offline partner hospitals of Southwest Internet Hospital. Southwest Internet Hospital has established its first health center workstation in Baiyan Town, formed the Southwest Internet Hospital Traditional Chinese Medicine Campus in affiliation with Puding Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guiyang Medical University, and established the Puding Internet Medical Center in affiliation with Puding People’s Hospital.

Third, reduce diagnosis and treatment costs to alleviate the financial burden on patients: To lower medical expenses for patients, Southwest Internet Hospital provides targeted assistance to disadvantaged populations in Puding County. For all remote medical services across the county, fees are charged at the minimum pricing standards established by the provincial government, with certain designated areas additionally benefiting from medical insurance support policies.

Zhao Kaiyun, County Magistrate of Puding County People’s Government, stated that Southwest Internet Hospital has fully leveraged the advantages of internet technology and the resources and experience accumulated by Gangling Group in the “Internet + Healthcare” sector. By closely aligning with the Guizhou Provincial Government’s initiative to enable residents to receive treatment for serious illnesses without leaving their county, the hospital has achieved true integration of medical care and pharmaceutical services. This allows patients to enjoy comprehensive, convenient services from home, including mobile telemedicine, appointment scheduling for examinations, electronic prescription issuance, and remote medication delivery, thereby effectively alleviating the local healthcare challenges.

Southwest Internet Hospital Remote Consultation Workstation

Pioneering the “1-Consultation Cloud Clinic” Tiered Diagnosis and Treatment System

In the 2016 Government Work Report, Premier Li Keqiang proposed making tiered diagnosis and treatment a key task of healthcare reform, with pilot programs to be launched in 70% of cities this year.

Zhang Keshuai introduced that, against this backdrop, Southwest Internet Hospital pioneered the “1-Consultation Cloud Clinic” tiered diagnosis and treatment system, enabling medical institutions at different levels to manage diseases corresponding to their respective capacities. On one hand, the hospital organized teams for the “1-Consultation Cloud Clinic” by grouping together physicians from tertiary Grade A hospitals, experts from county-level hospitals, general practitioners from township health centers, and community doctors. On the other hand, Southwest Internet Hospital extended its service network down to villages and into individual households, while designating family physician contract service providers. Through the cloud clinic model, it connected tertiary hospitals, county-level hospitals, township health centers, and village doctors to deliver medical care directly to patients’ homes.

It is reported that “1Zhen Cloud Clinic” has established a full-time medical team of 50 members in Shanghai, partnered with physician groups comprising 500 doctors, and covered a total of 1,200 physicians. Meanwhile, it has jointly established a full-time pharmacist team of 300 members in Guangzhou. Furthermore, the 1Zhen Shanghai Mobile Internet Medical Center and the Shanghai Pharmacist Service Center have been set up to provide support.

Zhang Keshuai stated that as the contradiction between patient demand and scarce medical resources continues to widen within the traditional healthcare system, the contracted physician service model of “1-Zhen Cloud Clinic” not only scientifically balances medical resources across regions and alleviates primary healthcare demands, but also enhances physicians’ initiative and proactivity, thereby improving the overall operational efficiency of internet hospitals.

Yu Gang, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Gangling Group, stated that the Southwest Internet Hospital provides basic medical services to grassroots communities. It aims to transform patients’ healthcare-seeking behavior through a novel service model, promote the fair and rational allocation of high-quality medical resources, and genuinely alleviate the difficulties and high costs associated with accessing medical care for residents in southwestern China. Furthermore, the establishment of the Southwest Internet Hospital represents a key strategic initiative in the Group’s effort to build an “Internet + Pharmaceutical Ecosystem.” In the future, the Group plans to replicate and promote this model across more provinces and cities nationwide.