There have been many online discussions about the strengths and shortcomings of medical systems in China and other countries recently. The discussions turned more spirited following reports that more overseas patients are seeking treatment in Chinese hospitals, which they say, offer quicker access and lower costs compared with their countries.

I am not in the position to join these discussions because I have never been treated at a hospital abroad. I did buy medical insurance when studying in the United States and West Germany in the 1980s, but thankfully never had to see a doctor. So my experience is limited to Chinese hospitals where my family members have been treated in recent years.

Three weeks ago, my wife suffered from diarrhea and went to a local hospital in Sanya. The doctor there recommended a colonoscopy. Though the examination could have been done in the outpatient department, we played it safe and opted for hospitalization for the check-up. The next day, she was admitted to a single room. It had two beds, one for the patient and the other for an accompanying relative or friend. The room had a private washroom and cost 250 yuan ($36.25) per day. If one stays in the regular ward, where two to six patients share a room, the charges are much lower and would largely be covered by medical insurance.

The colonoscopy revealed a problem in her colon and the doctor advised her to undergo an endoscopic surgery at a bigger hospital. We agreed, even though the hospital we were in is among the best in Hainan province thanks to strong national support.

For years, China has encouraged partnerships between the country's best hospitals and medical institutions in less developed regions. In some cases, a villager can undergo a complex surgery at a township hospital while the nation's best doctors guide the procedure remotely, thanks to 5G technology and the government's push.

My wife was discharged from hospital after paying a few thousand yuan for hospitalization and diagnostic tests. A big portion of the bill was covered by the medical insurance after she swiped her social security card at the self-service payment machine just outside her room. Social security systems in China vary across different provinces and municipalities. It used to be a headache for patients who had to see doctors in a place other than their own province or city. But technological advancements and the government's push have largely solved that problem, enabling Chinese people to see doctors anywhere in the country by connecting their social security card with that locality.

Getting an appointment with the right doctor in a good hospital in Beijing proved difficult, but we were lucky to secure a consultation at one of the country's best military hospitals within two days. The military doctor put my wife on the waiting list for hospitalization but could not say how long we would have to wait. We did not complain, because we knew that the hospital receives nearly 10,000 patients a day from all over the country.

On our way home, my wife tried her luck again to register with another well-known hospital near our home. This time, she was successful and got an appointment for later that afternoon. We went to the hospital and two days later she was admitted. After a series of intensive examinations using advanced diagnostic equipment, my wife underwent a minimally invasive surgery.

Two weeks after the operation, the recovery is complete and we are lying on the beach of tropical Sanya in southern Hainan province, enjoying the warmth and the sunshine as we do every winter.

And the medical bill? The two-week hospitalization cost us a little over 100,000 yuan, but 90 percent of the cost was covered by medical insurance. In China, 95 percent of the population is enrolled in one form of medical insurance or another. Unlike in some countries where patients reportedly have to undergo complicated procedures and wait for a long time before they can reach a doctor in a hospital, in China patients — whether rich or poor — have easier access to the best doctors in the best hospitals.

When one can enjoy access to medical care anytime and anywhere one chooses, as has been my wife's experience, one should be grateful for such good fortune.

The author is former deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily.

kangbing@chinadaily.com.cn