The physical examination centre at Guangzhou No 1 Hospital took a call from a Hong Kong resident last week wanting to make weekend appointments for a family of seven.

An increasing number of Hong Kong and Macao residents are opting to undergo physical examinations in mainland hospitals during their cross-border visits to save on medical bills, said Chen Ping, the centre's director.

Guangdong locals have also become much more health conscious since the SARS epidemic, reports New Express News.

Although routine physical examinations are usually organized by work units, individuals who prefer to have more thorough check-ups now contribute to more than half of the centre's revenue.

Patient numbers are expected to rise 30 per cent in August over the same period last year.

More than 10 first-class hospitals in Guangzhou have set up physical examination centres to tap into the market, offering value-added services such as "results within one day" or setting up personal medical history records for patients.

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