15-May-15 Australia is seeking closer business ties with China in areas such as medical devices, aged care, health information technology, clinical trials, hospital management, pharmaceuticals and health foods. But Australian companies will need to prepare themselves for strong competition as the Chinese government pushes hospitals to use more domestically made medical devices. [image: The Conversation_Lukas Coch / AAP]

13-May-15 China's State Council has published a plan to overhaul thousands of public county hospitals nationwide. A key reform is barring a 15% drug mark-up, which some say causes over-prescription of expensive imported drugs. An economist at the University of International Business & Economics in Beijing said hospitals will now have to raise prices on other services or lower quality levels. [image: Caixin Online]

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 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]

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]