13-May-15 China's State Council has published a plan to overhaul thousands of public county hospitals nationwide. A key reform is barring a 15% drug mark-up, which some say causes over-prescription of expensive imported drugs. An economist at the University of International Business & Economics in Beijing said hospitals will now have to raise prices on other services or lower quality levels. [image: Caixin Online]

13-May-15 Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) system is renowned for providing easy access to high-quality medical services. Over 99% of the population is enrolled in the single-payer NHI, and 93% of healthcare providers participate. The success of the system was not achieved overnight - development has been ongoing since 1995, and key success factors include special financing and adoption of technology. [image: Wikimedia Commons / Solomon203]

13-May-15 Chinese hospital-investment firm Zhuhai Blue Ocean Strategy Medical plans to raise about USD1 bn in a Hong Kong initial public offering in the third quarter of 2015. Founded in 2010, the private company provides hospital management services and has formed business partnerships with over 300 hospitals across 200 cities. [image: Reuters]

13-May-15 Singapore's Raffles Medical Group will develop a general hospital in Shanghai as part of a joint-venture - its first hospital outside of Singapore. The 400-bed hospital will be built in Shanghai's Pudong New Area, and will cater to locals, expatriates and visiting international patients. [image: Raffles Medical Group]

06-May-15 Taiwan’s Apex Medical Corp is foraying into India to tap the growing healthcare market and plans to sell ‘quality and affordable’ equipment to hospitals and nursing homes. “We chose India... because it has a huge population and a new government that is willing to make a big change,” Daniel Lee, CEO, Apex Medical Corp, told reporters. [image: Apex Medical Corp]