Suzhou Expat-friendly Hospitals

Main Hospitals in Suzhou

Suzhou Kowloon Hospital
Chinese Name:上海交通大学医学院苏州九龙医院
Addres: Suzhou Kowloon Hospital, 118 Wangsheng Jie, Suzhou Industrial Park Zone, Suzhou
Chinese Address:苏州市吴中区万盛街118号 上海交通大学医学院苏州九龙医院
Tel: 512 6262 9999
The best choice is Kowloon Hospital in the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP). Affiliated with Shanghai Jiaotong University, it offers high-quality services with standards that are similar to the West. The taxi out there may cost you 60 RMB, but from the moment you pull up to the impressive building, you’ll understand why it’s so trusted. The English level of the staff quite high, and it’s also common for the nurses to speak a bit of English as well. The hospital was designed for the expats who manage factories in SIP, so it has modern equipment to deal with the high volume of foreigners they receive. But it is, of course, the most expensive hospital by far. Beds can run as low as 100 RMB a day, or 600 RMB for VIP service. Interestingly enough, a few people have commented that the VIP service here is not worth paying for, as the staff’s English level is already so high. Either way, this is the most trusted destination in Suzhou.
Suzhou Municipal Hospital (No. 2 People’s Hospital)
Chinese Name:苏州市立医院
Addres: Suzhou Municipal Hospital (No. 2 People’s Hospital) 26 Daoqian Street, Canglang District, Suzhou
Chinese Address:苏州市沧浪区道前街26号 苏州市立医院
Not far from Suzhou No. 1, this is probably the best public hospital in town, especially for its VIP service. Here, like most places, VIP really just means a doctor who can speak English. Newer and cleaner than the No. 1 Hospital, this place serves less government-related patients and also does not deal with research. It was formerly called the No. 2 People’s Hospital. It is crowded, and staffs a similar makeup of doctors and nurses just like other Chinese hospitals, but they do have plenty of experience with foreigners. I became aware of it when a friend went in for an appendectomy, and spent a few days recovering in a private room. Unlike other Chinese hospitals, you can get an examination behind a curtain, where you get at least a few minutes with the doctor before being harassed by the next person in line.
No. 1 Hospital of Suzhou University
Chinese Name:苏州大学附属第一医院
Addres:The No. 1 Hospital of Suzhou University, 88 Shizi Jie, Suzhou
Chinese Address:苏州市十梓街188号 苏州大学附属第一医院
The largest and most famous hospital in the city is the No. 1 Hospital. Affiliated with Suzhou University, No. 1 handles thousands of cases a day and claims to employ 1,600 medical professionals. Beyond regular treatment in all fields, No. 1 is also a research institution. A lot of old party cadres and government officials are treated here. Perhaps it is because the hospital provides for so many elderly Chinese patients that it offers less modern services than other hospitals in town. This is the kind of hospital that one would more classically associated with China: crowded hallways with people smoking, overworked doctors with only two minutes for a diagnosis, and a complicated system of payments and receipts that delays treatment greatly. While there is a VIP service at No. 1, it is not recommended. VIP service usually means an English-speaking doctor and often includes a private room or at least a curtain. The English level of the doctors is low, although the hospital’s proximity to bar street means that tthey have handled foreigners. Go here if this is the hospital closest to you when you are injured, or if you can’t afford a more expensive hospital. If, however, you’ve got the time and/or money, you’d be wise to go elsewhere.

Other hospitals:

The First Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou (Soochow) University
Address: 96 Shixin Strees, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006
Tel: 86-512-6522 3637

The Second Affiliated Hospital Suzhou (Soochow) University
Address: 181 Sanxiang Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215004
Tel: 86-512-6828 1647

Suzhou Fourth People’s Hospital
Address: 16 Baita Road West, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Tel: 86-512-6727 3853

Suzhou Eye Hospital
Address: 18 Shuyuan Lane, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
Tel: 86-512-6516 3588
Fax: 86-512-6516 3599