Aerial view of the Haitang Bay Duty Free Shopping Complex along the coastline [Photo/VCG]

On June 8, 2022, Singapore's leading private comprehensive medical group Raffles landed in the Hainan Free Trade Port and registered the Raffles International Hospital (Hainan) Co Ltd in the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone.

In November of the same year, the groundbreaking ceremony of Raffles Hospital Hainan attracted significant attention. This Raffles Hainan project marked RMG's first venture in the province, using gynecology, male reproductive urology, and comprehensive departments as pilot auxiliary departments, while focusing on assisted reproductive technology.

Leveraging the policy advantages of the Hainan Free Trade Port and Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, it aimed to connect and cover Raffles Medical Group's medical service network in China and Southeast Asian countries, gradually providing first-class medical services to high-end clients domestically and internationally.

Over the past few years, thanks to the preferential policies of the Hainan Free Trade Port, the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone has attracted a number of high-quality medical institutions, medical device companies, and insurance firms, including Singapore's Raffles Medical Group, South Korea's JK Plastic Surgery, and Japan's Towako Group.

Established in 1976, RMG has experienced steady growth, catering to over 2.8 million patients and servicing more than 7,000 local and multinational corporations from various industries annually. As a leading integrated private healthcare provider in Asia, the group currently operates medical facilities in 14 cities across the continent.

"We are committed to leveraging our world-renowned medical team and cutting-edge technology in collaboration with the Hainan FTP, to establish a globally competitive and impactful healthcare brand in this region," said Xie Fengcai, president of Raffles Medical Group China.

Xie highlighted that the policy benefits of Hainan have led Raffles to set up operations in the region.

"We plan to establish our Boao Lecheng Raffles Medical Center as a pivotal hub within Raffles' medical network in China and Southeast Asia, catering to a diverse clientele from both local and international backgrounds, while fostering synergistic connections in technology, talent, and customer flow," Xie said.

Sources: investhainan.cn, forbes.com, thepaper.cn, rafflesmedicalchina.com and en.hainan.gov.cn