Family Physician Dr. Lemm (Germany) On Staying Healthy in China
Living in China is a great adventure, but it can also be a challenge – especially when it comes to getting the medical care you need. Here to explain how Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU) can help patients – especially German patients – is BJU’s German Family Medicine Physician Dr. Christian Lemm.
In your experience, what problems do German patients in China encounter most frequently?
Language problems and problems with emergency ambulance services. On the positive side, many of our German patients state that they can get better access to good healthcare with BJU than they can get with the healthcare system back home (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherungen), where the waiting times for certain specialists has increased during recent years.
What are your tips for keeping healthy in China?
These include avoiding inhalation of polluted air where possible by wearing a protective mask and exercising outdoors only on days with low air pollution or using indoor sport facilities with air filtering systems, keeping vaccinations up-to-date, wearing protective masks and washing hands very frequently with warm water and soap during outbreaks of influenza, drinking bottled water, and choosing steamed foods rather than foods prepared with oil. Be very careful in traffic, as traffic rules here differ from those back home. (“Keine oder andere Linksabbiegerregeln”)
What has been your experience working and living in China? Is it different from other countries?
I have experienced the friendliness of the Chinese people. As I work in an international hospital, the working environment has not been very different from working in Germany or the UK. I only wish my Mandarin language skills were better so I could enjoy the experience of living in China even more. My family (wife and two daughters) agree that it is a wonderful experience that they would not want to have missed.
Tell us a bit about BJU
Beijing United Family Hospital was founded over 21 years ago. The first private international hospital established in China, it is the flagship facility of the United Family Healthcare network of hospitals and clinics.
Why should patients consider coming to BJU?
Patients of BJU have the benefit of full-service, patient-centered, international medical care. Our family doctors can keep an overview of the patient’s history and needs in order to optimize care and provide counsel for preventative care. Additional benefits include direct billing services for most patients and service in English. Interpreters are also available for some 15 other languages, including German.
What are BJU’s aims and hopes for the future?
We aim to expand the benefits of primary care, including the benefits of preventative medicine; striving for ever-higher standards with an emphasis on evidence-based medicine and integrative care.
This interview originally appeared in Ticker Magazine.
Dr. Christian Lemm is BJU's German Family Medicine physician. He speaks German, English, and Italian. To make an appointment with him, please call the BJU Service Center at 4008-919191.
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