A checkup center of Ciming Health Checkup Management Group in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. Provided to China Daily

Chinese real estate tycoon Pan Shiyi, chairman of Soho China, said he was amazed by a comprehensive health checkup service he received last year at the Mayo Clinic, one of the top medical providers in the US.

"I was amazed by how nice and patient the staff were. I had to wait in line before undergoing various kinds of checkups though," he said, adding that nobody knew him there.

He was pronounced very healthy, better than the average 50-year-old, despite the mounting air pollution in China.

The screening cost about $7,000.

Eight years ago, Pan went for a 1,000 yuan ($165) package at Ciming in Beijing, according to Hu Bo, chairman of Ciming Health Checkup Management Group.

"The new affluent Chinese, particularly the business moguls, have become more health-savvy nowadays. A demand for upscale health checkups and management has been emerging in the country," Hu said.

Nationwide, China has set the target of increasing the gross value of its health service sector to more than 8 trillion yuan by 2020, according to a guideline issued by the State Council last October.

To target the wealthy such as Pan, Ciming launched the OASIS International Wellness Club in Beijing in 2011.

It's operated mainly on a membership club model with the highest membership fee at 5.98 million yuan. That includes a lifelong membership. Services include health check-ups, health consulting services from top specialists, hospital referrals, private doctor service and health preservation and rehabilitation care, according to Chai Jing, customer service manager of the club.