Yulia Nefiodova, a visitor from Russia, recently came to Yiwu for a week‑long trip combining family visits, sightseeing, and shopping. But she ended up with an unexpected bonus – a life‑changing medical experience that took less than 24 hours from admission to discharge.

Thanks to China’s 240‑hour visa‑free transit policy, Yulia entered the country smoothly. During her stay, she mentioned occasional discomfort from gallstones detected in a previous check‑up. Her husband, who has been doing business in Yiwu for years, immediately suggested: “Why not get it treated here?” Despite her initial doubt about the timing, he assured her: “Chinese hospitals are incredibly efficient – trust me.”

On Monday morning at 9:30, Yulia visited Professor Tang Zhe, Vice President and Director of the General Surgery Centre at the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (ZJU4H). An MRI confirmed gallstones with fatty liver, indicating surgery was needed. Professor Tang calmly explained: “Admit today, operate tomorrow morning, and if all goes well, you can be discharged the day after.” Yulia worried about her Thursday return flight, but the streamlined process put her at ease.

The hospital’s “direct outpatient‑to‑inpatient” service completed her admission in just 2‑3 minutes. By 12:43 pm, she was in a comfortable private room. All pre‑operative checks and anaesthesia consultations were arranged bedside in English – seamlessly, as if “a precision system was working behind the scenes,” her husband remarked.

On Tuesday at 10 am, Professor Tang performed a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A 2‑cm gallstone was successfully removed with minimal bleeding, and the procedure took less than an hour. Recovery was remarkably fast: she was walking within 2 hours, sipping fluids after 6 hours, and experienced almost no pain. The next morning, Professor Tang examined her and said: “You’re recovering well – you can go home today.”

“I thought it would take days,” Yulia said in amazement. “The efficiency and skill here are truly impressive.”

This story is not an exception. ZJU4H has been actively developing “inbound medical tourism” services, particularly day‑surgery packages that allow international patients to complete admission, surgery, and discharge within 24‑48 hours. Common procedures include gallbladder removal, hernia repair, and varicose vein surgery – all performed using minimally invasive techniques.

The hospital also offers multilingual support (English, Arabic), direct billing with 22 global insurance providers, bilingual medical reports, and post‑discharge follow‑up. For short‑stay visitors, a rapid health check‑up package delivers a comprehensive report in just one hour.

The results speak for themselves: in 2025, ZJU4H served over 26,500 international patients from 188 countries and regions – the highest among all hospitals in Zhejiang Province, with annual growth rates consistently exceeding 30%.

In Yiwu – a global trading hub – medical tourism is becoming a new bridge for cross‑border exchange. As Professor Tang puts it: “We are not just showcasing Chinese speed, but also Chinese quality. Every detail matters in earning international trust.”