Same-day doctor visit? Yes.

I woke up with a rash on my arm. Nothing serious, but I wanted a doctor to look at it. Back home, I would have called the clinic and waited a week for an appointment. At best.

My colleague said: “Just use the hospital app. You’ll get a slot today.” I raised an eyebrow. She grabbed my phone and had me registered in five minutes.

I picked a dermatologist, saw that there was a slot at 2 PM, and booked it. No phone call. No explaining my symptoms to a receptionist. Just three taps and a payment of 30 yuan.

I showed up at 1:50. The waiting room had a digital board showing patient numbers and expected wait times. My number was called exactly at 2 PM. The doctor checked the rash, explained it was contact dermatitis, prescribed a cream, and I was out by 2:15.

Total cost: 75 yuan, including the cream. Total time: 25 minutes.

I sat in the hospital lobby, holding my tiny white bag of medicine, wondering why everything back home takes so long. And I realized: it’s not that China has better hospitals. It just decided that waiting shouldn’t be the default.

Video: A $2.39 hospital visit with a doctor in China.

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