21-Jul-16 Singapore's biggest healthcare provider Raffles Medical Group will spend SGD1 bn (USD737 mn) over the next three years to set up hospitals and clinics in Asia, group chairman and co-founder Loo Choon Yong said. About SGD600 mn will be used to spur growth outside Singapore, particularly in China, where an ageing population and reforms are expected to boost demand. [image: Raffles Medical Group/ST File]

20-Jul-16 Vietnam has recorded an increasing number of young people suffering from cardiovascular disease, which kills 200,000 people per year. According to Director of the Vietnam National Heart Institute Do Doan Loi, the situation is attributable to objective reasons like physical inactivity, drinking alcohol and smoking, and subjective ones including stress and pressure of living. [image: Vietnam+]

16-Jul-16 Singapore's Tan Tock Seng Hospital has cut A&E visits by frequent hospital-goers by a third. This reduction was achieved through comprehensive post-discharge medical care from the hospital's Virtual Hospital team, which provides care and advice via phone, or visits patients in their own homes. [image: MIMS]

13-Jul-16 The Department of Health in Vietnam's province of Quang Ninh has launched a provincial telehealth network to extend critical healthcare services to rural and remote communities and increase remote connection between doctors and patients. Polycom’s video collaboration technology enables consultations and follow-up care for patients hundreds of kilometres away, improved training and collaboration for doctors in remote areas. [image: Baomoi]

12-Jul-16 In the Philippines, the healthcare system is challenged by resource constraints, affordability and dated health IT systems. The Department of Health reports there are 10 hospital beds per 10,000 population - half the WHO recommended number. To address these challenges, the government has set goals complementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 in achieving good health and well-being. [image: Manila Bulletin]