10-Feb-15 Encouraged by a relaxation of ownership rules in 2014 and a rapidly ageing population, PE firms and industry players are investing in China’s hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and device makers. The prospect of 223 million people aged 65+ by 2030 is enticing, despite risks such as rising valuations and a dearth of doctors. [image: Reuters]

08-Feb-15 Pingtung Christian Hospital’s community health app will soon be launched in South Africa. Built around the hospital’s expertise in bringing medical aid to Taiwan’s mountainous areas, the app helps hospitals track infectious diseases and NCDs, and is designed to overcome the difficulties of rural areas. [image: Focus Taiwan]

15-Dec-14 In 2011, tele-health videoconference incentives to provide remote consultation for isolated populations were generous and many clinicians took up the offer. Since then the implementation of tele-health videoconferencing has been inconsistent and patchy, yet to be normalised. In part this is due to a lack of acceptance from clinicians, as well as technical barriers. [image: AFP]

06-Feb-15 Foreign producers of medical devices and supplies will be phased out of government tenders in Russia as Moscow strives to curb reliance on imports. Foreign companies’ tender applications will now be denied if there are two entries from Russia or other Eurasian Economic Union members Belarus, Armenia and Kazakhstan. [image: The Moscow Times]

06-Feb-15 A conference to promote cooperation in healthcare between Vietnam and Japan was held in Hanoi in early February 2015. The Deputy Minister of Health said the conference was a good opportunity for Vietnam to learn from Japan’s experience in dealing with an ageing population. Vietnam’s population is quickly ageing and the proportion of elderly people will rise to 10.5% in a few years, making it one of the 10 most rapidly ageing countries. [image: VietnamPlus / VNA]