16-Dec-15 AstraZeneca aims to build up its already strong position in China by making and developing more medicines locally, and will invest more than USD800 mn in the country over the next 10 years. The British drugmaker's decision to step up investment, notably through a strategic alliance with WuXi AppTec, chimes with Beijing's desire to see more treatments made in China. [image: China Daily]

11-Dec-15 Pantai Holdings, part of IHH, is planning to expand its operations to Malaysia's east coast states as part of its strategy to make private healthcare services available nationwide. Chairman Datuk Annuar Abdullah said the company had yet to decide whether its first hospital on the east coast will operate under the brand name of Pantai or Gleneagles. [image: The Star]

11-Dec-15 Singapore will seek to improve healthcare accessibility for patients, and promote innovation in medical technology, the Minister for Trade and Industry has said. To boost healthcare accessibility, he said the healthcare workforce has to grow by 50% by 2020. Singapore will also add at least 1,700 acute beds and double the number of community hospital beds to 3,000. [image: APACMed]

10-Dec-15 US-based healthcare IT firm eClinicalWorks will invest USD30 mn as part of its expansion plans for the digital healthcare market in India. The investment will focus on developing cloud-based technology infrastructure, the company said. eClinicalWorks has said tele-health capabilities allow patients to access their doctors via mobile phones and enable them to immediately address medical concerns. [image: Reuters]

10-Dec-15 The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has provided Vietnam with USD104 mn to finance the construction of ten hospitals. Costing USD120 mn, they are also funded by ministry and local budgets. The projects have been implemented since 2012, and are expected to ease overload at central level hospitals, and improve surgery, emergency and intensive care services. [image: JICA]