Leading Chinese healthcare company to bring improved health services to China
Ciming, one of China’s leading healthcare companies, has announced plans to bring advanced medical services offered abroad, such as foreign doctors, medicines and equipment, to the home market. The chairman of Ciming Health Checkup Management Group Co Ltd, Hu Bo said that the company has already invested in two medical facilities located in the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in Hainan. Hu stated Ciming’s investment in the zone to be between approximately 300 million yuan and 500 million yuan, with one hospital and one medical center specifically for infertility treatments. Following the company’s recent take over of Meinian Onehealth Healthcare Group Co Ltd, Ciming is now China’s largest health checkup service provider. The central government has backed the pilot zone, putting in place a number of preferential policies for foreign companies and doctors. Click here for the full article.
Trial health package for chronically ill patients in Australia
Part of the Australian government’s primary healthcare review was released early on Wednesday, identifying a new plan to tailor health services to thousands of chronically ill patients. Chaired by the former Australian medical Association President, Dr Steve Hambleton, the review proposed the establishment of Healthcare Homes, with the goal of providing round the clock care and coordinated services customized to patient needs. The trial period for this plan will involve 65,000 people and include up to 200 medical practices. Click here for the full article.
Family doctors the future of China’s healthcare system
“Family doctors” is a medical service program currently being initiated by the Chinese government, which aims to advance grassroots medical institutions as a means to help alleviate the burdens of overpopulation affecting many hospitals. It is being implemented by the Chinese government as a viable option to more efficiently distribute health care resources, and as a way to help ‘fill the gap between the large number of patients and limited hospitals’. The decision to help bolster China’s health care systems through initiatives such as promoting family doctors is tied in with the 13th Five-year plan, which included aims to build a “healthy China” by modernizing the health system and restructuring the management systems for both rural and urban hospitals. Family doctors have been successful in providing more efficient medical services to local residents and has taken effective in re-fostering the trust between doctors and patients. Li Bin, head of China’s Health and Family Planning Commission, stated that the government is “making efforts to provide each Chinese family with a family doctor by 2020”. Click here for the full article.
China vaccine scare
Thirty-seven people people have been arrested in Eastern China in relation to an illegal vaccine scare that occurred in Shandong province. The estimated value of the illegal vaccines is believed to equal $88m. These arrests are in conjunction with the arrest of a mother and daughter, whom last month were charged with the buying and distribution of illegal vaccines. The China office of the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the vaccines ineffectiveness was a result of the vaccines not being properly stored, or being expired. The WHO also stressed that the improperly stored vaccines pose a minimal safety risk in this situation. Click here for the full article.