Healthcare centers in Qidu Subdistrict, Lucheng District.

Medical and health care, regimen, internet plus medical care... in recent years, with the goal of building itself into an age-friendly city, Wenzhou has witnessed its emerging healthcare industry bringing dividends to and changing the lives of the elderly. The city is translating the dream of a happy life in later years with good medical service and elderly care.

In order to meet the growing needs of better healthcare service and higher life quality, Wenzhou has joined “Living in contentment in Zhejiang” campaign to upgrade the infrastructure and services of the healthcare service sector. As of 2021, more than 200 healthcare facilities have been put into construction in many places.

Healthcare facilities all over Wenzhou contribute to high-quality old-age life

As the older population in the urban area grows dramatically, the problems related to healthcare and elderly care services become increasingly prominent. Official data shows that by the end of 2020, there were 1,609,400 people aged 60 or above in Wenzhou, accounting for 19.30% of the total registered population.

In August 2021, with 2 billion yuan’s investment from Taikang Insurance Group, a Fortune 500 company of China, a medical and healthcare facility titled “Taikang · Ouyuan” was put into construction, marking the third of its kind built by the company in Zhejiang Province. Located at the center of Healthy Life Town in Ouhai District, the 75,000-square-meter facility is expected to provide about 1,500 elderly care units, and its first phase will be put into use in 2024.

There are more to come. Qidu Subdistrict of Lucheng District plans to build an international healthcare center with over 32,000 square meters’ floor space, equipped with outpatient, laboratory and rehabilitation wards. An international healthcare community, with a total investment of 2.2 billion yuan and an area of 149 mu (roughly 100,000 square meters), is under construction at the estuary of the Oujiang River, and can provide high-quality elderly services for more than 600 people after put into use. Sanjiang Business District of Yongjia County puts its ecological healthcare center, with a total land area of about 78 mu (roughly 52,000 square meters) and a total floor area of approximately 230,000 square meters, high on agenda. The center will introduce an intelligent monitoring system for medical services of all age groups...

State-owned enterprises in Wenzhou are not lagging behind. A prime example is the Modern · Greentown House, jointly built by Wenzhou Modern Elderly Care Industry Development Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Wenzhou Modern Group, and Greentown Healthcare Group, that provides medical, healthcare, nursing, rehabilitation and education services. With a total floor area of approximately 126,000 square meters, the community is equipped with a one-stop elderly care facilities, such as apartments, nursing centers and the hospitals providing elderly care service 24/7, which has opened to public since October 2021. Wenzhou Modern Group also started its community-based elderly service and created a 15-minute elderly service circle in urban communities.

Another opportunity seized by Wenzhou Modern Group is from cultural tourism sector. The Group plans to build “Modern · Nanshe” complex in Nantian Township of Wencheng County. With 200,000 square meters of floor space, the complex is to host a commercial block, a research center, 3 major landmarks, and a state-owned four-star hotel. Modern · Greentown House and the complex are now the priorities of Wenzhou Modern Group in expanding access to community-based elderly care service and establishing a “1 plus X plus Y” three-level elderly service system, such as “medical care and education demonstration base plus healthcare service complex plus elderly service stations in communities”.

According to “Wenzhou Major Construction Project Plan in 2022” and the “investment plan” issued by Wenzhou Municipal Government, the city is planning more than 10 healthcare and elderly care facilities, such as Yunjiang Yishan International Healthcare Resort, Lucheng District’s Elderly Service Center and the one invested by Baicheng, a medical technology company.

“Healthcare plus” model breaks new ground and boosts integrated development

The healthcare bases located at Baizhang Waterfall in Yongjia County, Huayan National Forest Park in Rui’an, Shuikou Village of Pingyang County, Huangtandong Village of Yueqing, and Yucang Mountain in Cangnan County were listed as provincial-level forest healthcare bases in Zhejiang Province, adding to 5 existing ones of the city. There is now a total of 51 provincial forest health bases in Zhejiang Province.

In the past two years, Wenzhou has actively integrated ecological, sports, humanities and other elements into healthcare service sector and created its own “healthcare plus” model. For example, Yandang Township plans to leverage its forests, valleys and other high-quality natural resources in a well-calibrated manner to establish a municipal-level forest healthcare base. Huling Township plans to invest over 10 billion yuan into the local hot spring healthcare complex which, with its first 5A-level hot spring in Zhejiang Province at its core, consists of four resorts. Jingshuiwan Resort in Xikeng She Ethnic Township incorporates jungle, Zen culture, tea house and other cultural elements, enabling people to live Zen lifestyle. Zeya Township of Ouhai District blended sports elements with healthcare facilities when building its Ma’anyan forest healthcare base with swimming pools, tennis courts and fishing spots...

Behind all this is an emerging industry that integrates medical care and healthcare and breaks new ground in elderly care sector. Those healthcare facilities, with upgraded infrastructure and services, can ensure that the elderly needs of housing, nursing, medical care, entertainment and travel will be met. Such a well-established elderly care industrial chain can further promote the development of silver economy.

In February 2022, 11 departments of Wenzhou Municipal Government jointly issued Opinions on Promoting Medical and Health Care Industries, which sets the vision of meeting the growing demand for elderly care through increased access to the institutions and facilities, improved services, policy support and talent training.

By 2025, the city will further integrate its elderly service and healthcare sectors to better coordinate elderly care at homes, community and institutions, enabling senior citizens to have their fair share of medical and elderly care resources. Thus the city is to establish its moderate-sized medical care and healthcare service network that will function properly in both urban and rural areas.