China encourages development of private healthcare

BEIJING - Chinese authorities unveiled a package of measures on Wednesday, which consist of relaxing price controls covering non-public hospital services and encouraging the private sector to build health institutions.

The measures were jointly announced in a circular by the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Health and Family Planning Commission and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

The measures are aimed to give private organizations more leeway to charge what they want for medical services to encourage competition.

Authorities want nongovernmental capital to enter the healthcare sector as soon as possible to increase the supply of medical services, which will help ease the problem of inadequate health provision available to the public.

All provincial governments have to publicize a directory listing all public hospitals within their regions before the end of June, the circular said.