30-Dec-15 Bolivian President Evo Morales has announced investment of USD1.70 bn in the hospital sector as part of the 2016-2020 Social & Economic Development Plan. Four level-4 hospitals are planned, located in Cochabamba, Tarija, La Paz, and Santa Cruz, and specialising in oncology, cardiology, gastroenterology, and neurology respectively. Morales also confirmed the development of a universal healthcare system. [image: Plan Canada]

22-Dec-15 iKang Healthcare Group, China's largest private preventive healthcare provider, announced it has acquired 70% interest of Xi'an iKang Health Management, which owns three medical centers under the brand name Xi'an INLUNG. This marks iKang's first steps into Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province. [image: Sapphire Healthcare]

16-Dec-15 Singapore-based Parkway Pantai, one of Asia's largest healthcare providers, is planning huge healthcare capacities in India, challenging leaders like Apollo and Fortis. Parkway, owned by the Malaysian sovereign fund-backed IHH Healthcare, is planning to add up to 5,000 beds in the next two years, half of this in India, said Dr Tan See Leng, managing director of Parkway and IHH. [image: Business Today]

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]