China uploads 349 million imaging records to enable cross-province hospital access

(ECNS) - China has uploaded 349 million medical imaging data indexes to a national healthcare platform to enable hospitals to retrieve patient scans across provinces, according to the country's healthcare security authority.

Since 2024, the agency has promoted the construction of a national medical insurance imaging cloud system and introduced unified standards for imaging data codes.

The initiative aims to reduce duplicate medical examinations and improve convenience for patients seeking treatment in different regions.

Local authorities have been instructed to upload medical imaging indexes step by step to the national medical insurance information platform.

As of March 12, 2026, all 31 provinces and regions in China had uploaded imaging indexes from at least one local area within their jurisdiction, the NHSA said.

The platform has accumulated 349 million imaging records so far, laying the groundwork for what the agency described as "instant cross-province retrieval" of medical imaging records.

(By Zhang Jiahao)