Baidu and HealthyWay Launch 'Healthy China, Baidu Direct Access' Initiative with Fujian as National Pilot

Yesterday (June 18), Baidu and Health Road (China) jointly launched the “Healthy China, Direct Access via Baidu” initiative at the 13th China·Strait Project Achievements Fair.

The “Healthy China, Baidu Direct Access” initiative is a mobile information public welfare project that leverages Baidu Direct Access as an interface nationwide to integrate high-quality medical institutions and physician resources, drive user acquisition, and bridge online and offline medical services for comprehensive accessibility.

Leveraging Baidu’s domestic leadership in traffic, technology, and data, as well as the Direct Account’s capabilities in breaking through search barriers and enabling instant access upon search (“anytime, anywhere, direct access to what you need”), this project establishes a unified regional entry point for health services. It helps healthcare institutions fully mobilize their services and provides patients with functionalities such as medical visit information inquiry, access to medical services (including appointment registration, referrals, waiting reminders, payment, and report retrieval—covering the entire care journey), and doctor-patient interaction (e.g., physician consultations). This comprehensive approach meets the need to connect individuals with healthcare and medical services.

According to Mr. Zhang Wanneng, Chairman of Health Road (China) Information Technology Co., Ltd., the “Healthy China · Baidu Direct Connect” initiative is a multi-year comprehensive promotional campaign. In addition to assisting regional health authorities, medical institutions, and physicians in establishing Medical Direct Connect accounts, the program includes the selection of local health portals for Direct Connect, public health education campaigns via Direct Connect, and preferential experiences for appointment registration and consultations through Direct Connect. The Fujian launch marks the first stop of the “Healthy China, Baidu Direct Connect” nationwide campaign, with subsequent activities to be rolled out simultaneously in other provinces and municipalities across China.

Li Zheng, General Manager of the Strategic Planning and Cooperation Department at Baidu’s Emerging Business Group, also stated, “Baidu aims to leverage its future advantages to build an efficient internet healthcare ecosystem platform in collaboration with outstanding partners such as Health Road, thereby enabling the public to truly experience conveniences including easier access to medical care and cost savings.”

In February this year, Health Road secured a $60 million Series A strategic investment from Baidu. The launch of this project will further expand Health Road’s allocation of medical service resources in the areas of “Internet + tiered diagnosis and treatment,” “Internet + service management,” and “Internet + health management.” For Baidu, the successful implementation of this project will not only promote the widespread adoption of its Direct Account service in the healthcare sector but also help build its internet healthcare ecosystem platform through collaboration with high-quality partners such as Health Road.