17-Mar-17 Japan's medical equipment makers are stepping up efforts in the Middle East, where their presence has been small but where they see significant growth potential. Fujifilm will deliver over 200 units of its X-ray system to public hospitals in Saudi Arabia by the end of Mar-17, while Olympus is planning to begin sales at its new headquarters in Dubai. [image: Nikkei Asian Review]

16-Mar-17 Green Cross of Korea has signed a contract with TECO Diagnostics to supply USD12.3 mn worth of blood glucose monitors. The volume to be supplied is equivalent to 25% of the whole blood glucose meter market in Algeria. [image: Green Cross Medical Science]

13-Mar-17 A team of Korean researchers at Nanoparticle Research Group have developed a skin-attached patch for diabetics that can measure blood sugar from a small amount of sweat without drawing blood. The team has also developed a patch to work with the blood sugar assessment patch, that can administer appropriate amounts of drugs, offering users some control over blood glucose levels. [image: Business Korea]

05-Jan-17 Airline group ANA is getting into the medical tourism trade, looking to make long-term fliers of affluent Chinese and others seeking quality care in Japan. It will offer packages for Chinese travelers, partnering with Kameda Medical Center in Chiba Prefecture. Kameda began offering checkups for Chinese customers in 2010 and now serves around 200 visitors a year. [image: ftnNEWS]

01-Mar-17 Japan's national health insurance logged a deficit of JPY284 bn yen (USD2.5 bn) in 2015 as an injection of public funds failed to compensate for rising costs stemming from an aging subscriber pool and pricey new treatments. The main culprit was a rise in benefit payments, which grew 2.1%. High-priced hepatitis C drugs Sovaldi and Harvoni also played a role. [image: Nikkei Asian Reveiw]