On April 20, Scharfer, a Frenchman with blue eyes and fair skin, finished a ten-day course of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment.

Standing at the entrance of Central Hospital of Bengbu, he shook hands with the hospital president Yang Yongfei and expressed his thanks repeatedly saying, "This is my second time receiving treatment here, and the experience has been even better."

Logically speaking, people usually turn to large hospitals with better medical resources for medical treatment. Why did Scharfer come all the way to Bengbu, Anhui, for treatment again?

Scharfer is 71 years old this year. Nine years ago, he underwent surgery due to his eye disease. Although the surgery was successful, it left some sequelae like dryness and discomfort in his eyes and concurrent symptoms such as headaches and tinnitus. He sought help in multiple places but with little improvement. Scharfer said that his family and friends all thought “my eyes can only stay like this”.

Two years ago, Scharfer, who had been living in the Netherlands for a long time, gave a try to receive a remote consultation from doctors in Bengbu, Anhui, China through Nederlandse Vereniging voor Geïntegreerde Fysiotherapie (NVGF). Central Hospital of Bengbu proposed a TCM treatment plan that included methods such as herb fumigation and steaming therapy and tuina (Chinese therapeutic massage), which was implemented by local TCM doctors in the Netherlands under the coordination of NVGF.

Scharfer described it as "a surprisingly wonderful experience". During the treatment, he felt the "amazing effects" of TCM: "These methods which are completely absent in Western medicine like acupuncture and tuina have helped alleviate my headaches and tinnitus."

“It's a delightful surprise both for Scharfer and for us," Yang Yongfei said, "It dawned on us that TCM could actually make its way abroad in such a manner."

"TCM emphasizes 'inspection, auscultation and olfaction, inquiry, and palpation'. Although the remote consultation gathers information through video communication, it can already meet the basic diagnostic and therapeutic needs of TCM," Yang Yongfei introduced. The reason why such remote consultations can be carried out is also attributable to the continuous deepening of cooperation between China and the Netherlands in the medical field.

In 2022, as part of the events marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Netherlands, the two countries jointly launched research in pain neuroscience, which fostered the cooperation between Central Hospital of Bengbu and NVGF.

After experiencing two remote consultations, Scharfer came up with the idea of seeking medical treatment in Bengbu, Anhui Province.

Looking for an agency, preparing the visa materials, and submitting the application... In November 2023, Scharfer finally came to Central Hospital of Bengbu and received a one-week treatment.

After a series of treatments including acupuncture, herbal fumigation, and acupoint application, he felt that his vision brightened, and his tinnitus and headaches were significantly alleviated.

This made him feel: "Although it took a long time to prepare beforehand, it was worth it!"

Over a year later, Scharfer decided to make another trip to Bengbu in April this year.

To his surprise, the entry process was incredibly smooth this time. "I didn’t need to go through an agency and fill out a pile of lists. I just completed a few forms, and it only took several minutes," Scharfer said. He added that coming to China this time was really convenient, noting "less time, less expense, and better experiences!"

Scharfer’s spontaneous travel benefited from China's comprehensive relaxation and optimization of its visa-free transit policy. China has extended unilateral visa-free policy to 38 countries on a trial basis including France and the Netherlands. From November 30, 2024, to December 31, 2025, citizens from 38 countries can enter China without a visa and stay for no more than 30 days for business, tourism, family visit, exchange and transit purposes.

Compared with the one-week treatment last time, this treatment has a longer cycle and a more comprehensive plan. Scharfer said, "I don't worry about time, as I can stay for 30 days. After this round of treatment, I'm going to travel in China, explore more and have fun before going back home."

"We are fully prepared to receive more overseas patients for treatment here," said Yang Yongfei. Pointing to the sign of International Medical Services installed late last year, he added, "At present, we have provided online and offline medical consultations for nearly 100 patients from the Netherlands, France and other countries and regions, and conducted 30 international remote consultations.”

On April 20, Scharfer waved to Yang Yongfei and then got into a car heading for Bengbu South Railway Station.

Before the vehicle was out of sight, Yang Yongfei received a call from Gao Peng, the chief medical advisor of NVGF. "Many European patients have contacted us and they wanted to come to Bengbu for TCM treatment. You'll be even busier after some time," said Gao.

(Reporters: Peng Yuanyuan, He Ke)