Have you ever wondered - why, when it comes to cancer radiotherapy, some hospitals use imported "sky-high priced" equipment, while others can use domestic gadgets with extremely high cost performance?

Why do patients in some places have to wait in line for several months to receive radiotherapy once, while in others it can be arranged immediately?

The answer lies in a series of new regulations on centralized procurement of medical equipment that have been issued intensively recently.

Especially the significant tender announcement released by the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University in November 2025 not only heralds a major transformation in the radiotherapy equipment market but also marks the official start of the rise of domestic medical devices.

A 77.36 million yuan order in Guangxi: It's not just about buying equipment, but also a "bargaining revolution".

Let's first take a look at a set of data: The budget is 77.36 million yuan, and three medical linear accelerators (LINAC) are to be purchased. The bid opening date is set for December 1, 2025, which means the outcome will be clear before the end of the year. The procurement scope has been expanded to cover all equipment worth over 10 million yuan, including high-end imaging devices such as CT, MRI, and DSA.

This is not a simple "group purchase", but a provincial centralized volume-based procurement led by the Public Resources Trading Center of Guangxi Autonomous Region.

What does it mean?

That is to say, in the past, each hospital purchased independently, with opaque prices and weak bargaining power. Now, the government conducts unified negotiations, trading volume for price and directly lowering the quotations from suppliers.

For instance, in the past, an imported linear accelerator often cost 30 to 40 million yuan. Now, through centralized procurement, the price has generally dropped by 30% to 50%.

This means that the hospital's procurement costs have been significantly reduced, and the money saved can be used to improve the level of medical services. The patient's burden is reduced. The original treatment cost of over a hundred thousand yuan may drop to just a few tens of thousands. Domestic equipment has more opportunities and is no longer in the role of a "runner-up".

The threshold for centralized procurement has been lowered and the scope has been expanded: domestic substitution is presented with an opportunity

In March this year, Guangxi issued the "Notice on Further Improving the Centralized Procurement of Large Medical Equipment throughout the Region", clearly stipulating that all public medical institutions and state-owned hospitals using fiscal funds must go through the centralized procurement process when purchasing Class B large medical equipment and medical equipment worth over 10 million yuan per unit (set). The threshold for procurement amount has been lowered from 30 million yuan to 10 million yuan, which means that more medium and high-end equipment will be included in the scope of centralized procurement.

Specifically, in addition to the conventional Class B large medical equipment (such as PET/CT, MRI, etc.), 64-slice and above CT, 3.0T magnetic resonance, etc. are also all included in the centralized procurement list.

This is simply a "godsend opportunity" for domestic manufacturers.

Why do you say so? For a long time, the domestic radiotherapy equipment market has been monopolized by foreign brands (such as Varian and Elekta).

However, in recent years, with the rise of domestic brands such as United Imaging, Xinhua and Neusoft, the situation is quietly changing.

The market share of United Imaging's linear accelerators has reached 20%, making it a leading domestic player. Xinhua Medical has launched an intelligent circular online adaptive radiotherapy system, significantly enhancing treatment efficiency. Neusoft Zhirui's Borui precision radiotherapy system achieves sub-millimeter accuracy, comparable to the world's top level.

These domestic devices not only have excellent performance but also are more competitive in price.

With the support of national policies, the "14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Medical Equipment Industry" clearly lists radiotherapy equipment as a development priority. In the coming years, the pace of domestic substitution will only accelerate.

Centralized procurement in various regions has been deepened: Anhui, Guangdong and other places have followed suit.

In fact, Guangxi is not the first province to take the plunge.

As early as 2019, Anhui Province began to explore the centralized procurement of Class B large medical equipment and achieved remarkable results.

Data shows that from 2020 to 2021, Anhui Province saved over 450 million yuan through centralized procurement, with the reduction in individual equipment generally reaching 30% to 50%.

In March this year, Anhui Province issued another document, requiring all public medical institutions (regardless of whether they use fiscal funds or not) to participate in the provincial centralized procurement when purchasing Class B large medical equipment.

Meanwhile, Guangdong Province has also launched the 2025 Class B large-scale medical equipment procurement project, covering linear accelerators, surgical robots and their supporting equipment.

Behind these measures lies the determination of the state to promote a balanced allocation of medical resources.

On the one hand, it is necessary to address the issue of uneven distribution of regional medical resources and enable grassroots hospitals to also have access to advanced equipment. On the other hand, it is necessary to promote domestic substitution, break the monopoly of foreign capital, and enhance the competitiveness of domestic enterprises.

From "reliance on imports" to "independent innovation", China's radiotherapy equipment industry is on the rise.

This centralized procurement storm led by Guangxi and followed by the whole country, on the surface, is about price cuts, but in fact, it is about reshaping the industry ecosystem.

In the coming years, with the in-depth implementation of centralized procurement policies, we have every reason to believe that China's radiotherapy equipment market will usher in a true golden age.