13-May-15 In a bid to expand further into Southeast Asia, Pfizer has struck an agreement on the Laos market with distributor DKSH. Under the deal, DKSH will be the sole market expansion services provider for Pfizer's entire range of pharmaceutical products in Laos. The agreement is an extension of a successful collaboration that also includes Cambodia and Thailand. [image: Bio Spectrum]

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 Vietnamese tech company Links Toan Cau has set an ambitious goal of connecting the information networks of healthcare institutions and hospitals nationwide, hoping to bring bigger benefits to patients. The endeavor has gained initial success with technical support from its Japanese partner, Techno Project Japan Co. [image: The Saigon Times]

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]