Hello all, have any of the non-Chinese friends delivered a baby in the Yunnan first people's hospital (kunhua hospital)?? If there are any please respond. I can't find a way to book an appointment with the doctor using my English name and passport number.
Thanks.
Not strictly related, but note about using foreign names in hospitals in China.
I recently wanted to see specialist in a hospital in Kunming, and the girl in reception (where all incoming patients must register) had difficulty getting my info to the computer.
Apparently my foreign name was too long for the system for registering to meet a specialist, and the options were either to:
a) use shorter name
b) get to see general practitioner only
It's useful to get a Chinese translation or nearest sounding Chinese words/name to yours for these situations
Ocean
(1193 posts) •
On the naming front, when I tried to register my Kunming-born son with a Western name, I was told the hospital computers had a maximum of 4 characters for the name, so we had to give him a Chinese name. Then his UK passport had to tally with his Birth Certificate, so that too has his Chinese name (in pinyin).
@Malavika
Assuming it's not an issue with the name, the issue may be with your passport number, as the systems are designed to take the 18 digit (I think) Chinese ID card number.
Just insert leading zeroes in front of your passport number, so the total number of digits is 18 and this should take care of the passport number issue.
Example - if your passport number is <1234>, just insert 14 zeroes in front, followed by your passport number:
<000...1234> (do NOT use the "<>" symbols - that's only to aid reading).
Michael is right.
Most hospital computers can add a lot of characters due to pinyin. Names are usually not a problem but having a Chinese one is helpful. Make sure you coordinate you chinese name with you healthcare provider.
For passport no. Michael's advice is good and it works. In my long stay in China managed to put it right even though I have a ridiculously long name.
Although the sometimes don't use space between my first and family name, I ask them to write the first letter of my Last name in capital letters, when the skip the konghao.
Works great.
@Ocean I was able to give my Kunming born son a full English name with a first, second and family name.
This is on his Chinese birth certificate and UK passport so I think the hospital has misled you with what they said.
