06-May-15 China will lift price controls on most medicines starting from Jun-15, following which medicine prices will be decided by the market, the National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) has said. Only narcotics and some listed psychotropic drugs will continue to be controlled by the government, with ceiling retail prices. [image: AFP Photo / Anthony Wallace]

06-May-15 Bayer HealthCare reaffirmed its strong position in China's healthcare industry with sales of EUR1.7 bn (USD1.9 bn) in 2014, 14% up on 2013. Its pharmaceuticals business grew at 15% in China, with a 26% spike in its consumer care business and 11% growth in its animal healthcare division. [image: China Daily]

05-May-15 Indonesia's president Widodo has said that all private hospitals will be required to serve residents holding national health cards in the future, adding that their licenses will be revoked should they not comply. Under the management of the Health Care & Social Security Agency, the health card programme is intended to unify health insurance for all citizens. [image: AFP]

30-Apr-15 Brazil has approximately 2.1 hospital beds for every thousand people and one and a half million medical equipment units in use. These numbers are below the baseline required by the World Health Organization (3-5 beds per thousand), and the healthcare system is facing a shortage of doctors in some areas. [image: The Pulse / GE Healthcare]

30-Apr-15 Authorities in China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region plan to transform the area into a hub for international medical tourism and attract patients from across Central Asia. [image: China Daily]