Shanghai World Link Medical and Dental Centers Co., Ltd. is a joint-venture by three parties: Shanghai Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd. and Singapore Personal International Medical Resource Investment Co., Ltd. It is a foreign invested medical servicing unit founded in 1996. The company’s logo and registered name are World Link. Its main service is to provide medication to people of foreign nationality in Shanghai.

Medical technique and services industry differ from ordinary commercial industries. It has a much longer cultivation period, and does not respond or show the effect instantly. It is definitely impossible to forge a industry named brand during a short period of time. Medical services industry also receives lower rate of investment return, since its obligations in social commonwealth. With support and guidance from relevant departments of Shanghai government, the World Link has benefited from all of its employees’ efforts, and continued to develop steadily. Over the past 8 years advancements, World Link has grew from 1 clinic into 3 (according to government regulations in 2002, each clinic unit must have an independent corporate body); from 400 meters squared area of service to 5000 meters squared; from less than 20 employees to nearly 200. Compare to 1997, annual patient visits has increased 7 times, service income has increased 10 times, tax revenue generation increased every year – in 2004 it will be able to reach RMB 10 million. And, the corporation is recently going to establish two more clinics, with even larger service areas. By then, the target of establishing 5 clinics planned in the earlier years would have been accomplished. All these achievements account for the principles of “paramount quality, humanistic services, attendance to both social and commercial benefits”. Now World Link is no longer spreading its fame within the city, but is known to many foreign nationalities live outside Shanghai as well.

Since China’s open and reform, there have been increasing foreigners coming to Shanghai for purpose of tourism, trade and business. They trustfully believed in our government policies. They are rather satisfied with Shanghai’s urban environment, and fully confident of the city’s business opportunities, however they are yet still concerned whether or not they could receive health care of good quality during the stay here.

Shanghai’s level of medical treatment, especially clinic medications, has had fast developments in the past 10 years. Several famous large hospitals, particularly, had remarkable improvements in medical equipments, facilities and environment. Moreover, they are now very close to world-class levels in the field of medical techniques, and some specialized areas have even received international recognitions and reputations. Healthcare technical services enjoyed by general people are no less than international levels. However, due to long period of occlusion, foreigners usually miscomprehend that medical conditions of Shanghai still remained like 1960s, and hence develop misgivings. This was inevitable. Yet on the other hand, differences in cultures, daily habits, living demands and personal wealth, result in medical treatment procedures, customs and service concept diverges. These factors all, and especially the language, create foreign visitors’ diffidence in local healthcare. Consequently in 1996, some foreigners, even after getting sick, still refuse to go to the special “Guest Rooms” of large hospitals in Shanghai, but fly to Hong Kong, Japan or even back to U.S. and Australia for medication. Obviously, this estranged Shanghai from becoming an international metropolitan, and cause negative impacts on Shanghai’s investment environments.

Whereas, the corporation believed that establishing a clinic of developed country’s level in medical facilities, equipments, procedures and services, would not only improve Shanghai’s image and investment environment, but also creates the marketing conditions for providing high-end medical services. With guidance of this belief, the corporation decided to found the clinic of “World Link”. Being an integrated, foreign invested joint-venture clinic, and having an independent corporation body, independent field and operation, World Link was a number one record at that time. And therefore World Link received generous supports from Shanghai Foreign Investments Commission, the Public Health Bureau of Shanghai Municipality (abbr. SMHB) and other government departments.

World Link’s positioning is the high-end of the market facing customers of foreign origins, thus the clinics’ field designs, medical facilities, equipments, procedures, working hours and service style were all set-up to satisfy the needs of these customers, which means, a clinic standard of developed countries. The first World Link clinic used American graphic designs, and was followed by the second and third clinic of same specifications and styles. All facilities and equipments are of international named brands, to ensure the quality. Medicines and prescriptions also follow as much as possible the customary varieties widely used abroad. Medication processes carry out privately in one room, to protect the privacy of patients. This was rare in Shanghai in 1996. Sessions of medication for every patient last longer than 30 mins, or even an hour, doing the best to consider for, and communicate with the patients. The clinics work 11 hours a day for the convenience of patients. Policlinic examination tables all use one off sheets, which are changed after each patient’s use. Patients also ware one off clothes during X-ray photography. All these measures were for a target of internationalization and patients ratifications, making the clinic their own home, increasing their confidence in local medications. The corporation has also set up a website (www.worldlink-shanghai.com) for better information exchanges with clients. All World Link clinics are connected, making it convenient for client’s hospitalizations.

World Link’s service characteristic is “foreign doctors for foreign patients”, 21 doctors at the clinics were all hired from abroad. As clinics are rather small scaled, it is not possible to totally hire specialist doctors, thus the clinics corporate with Ruijin Hospital and other famous domestic hospitals and made it possible to invite temporary consultations. All staff members at the clinics from nurses to reception are all able to communicate using foreign languages (mainly English, German and Japanese, etc.), devoting to let the patients feel at home.

Exactly because of such standardized services, the clinics are made popular, and service volume expands gradually. Not only foreigners in Shanghai come for treatments especially at World Link, but also those live in nearby cities. There have been generally good feed backs from patients. When SARS roamed last year, SMHB appointed some policlinics units for fever symptom carriers. World Link was not one of them. Foreign patients bearing fever would have to go to Hospital of Contagious Disease or Hospitals of Chest/Lung Specialization for treatments. These hospital’s capabilities of isolation and sanitization were already fairly good, but foreigners still proposed World Link as an appointed unit through consulates to SMHB, and later succeeded. As for World Link, this appointment meant increased expenses, shrunken business (due to prospective customers’ fear of being infected at the clinic). Nevertheless, for the sake of society, World Link accomplished this task of historic importance.

Shanghai World Link Medical and Dental Centers Co., Ltd. hardly ever involves in commercial advertisements, nor creates any false propaganda to scramble for market share. On the contrast, the corporation often participates in donations and other community activities, for example, the annual Terry Fox Run, marathon charity programmes, Specialized Foundation for SARS Counterattacks, The Shanghai Children’s Welfare, Special Olympic Games, and so on. In order to enrich the life of foreigners in Shanghai and improve the city’s investment environment, The American Woman’s Club, International Schools etc. hold activities every year, and the corporation usually sponsors and donates actively.

Eight years since World Link’s foundation, with services expansion and customer increase, the corporation has received rising economic benefits. Investor’s dividends, were never remitted abroad, but re-invested to support corporation’s further development and improve medication environment. A company’s success depends on its products; whether the market accepts a product or not, depends on products’ adaptation to market needs. Therefore, sufficient knowledge of the market’s needs and satisfaction of market’s requirements for products, are the keys to enterprises’ success. This is also important to medical service industry which produces exceptional products.

Successful enterprises gain benefits from the society, enterprise profits are returned to the society. This is the new concept of enterprise development. It is even more important to medical service industry. World Link has namely been operating accordingly to this for the past eight years.