Shanghai Unveils Plan to Launch Wholly Foreign-Owned Hospitals

  

Source: OT-Team(G), 澎湃新闻

 Shanghai has introduced the "Pilot Program for Expanding the Opening-Up of Foreign-Owned Hospitals".

Key Highlights of the Program:

1.Permitted Establishments: 

  The program allows the establishment of foreign-owned hospitals in Shanghai, excluding traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospitals and acquisitions of public hospitals. Priority will be given to free trade zones, the Lingang New Area, Hongqiao Business District, the Oriental Hub International Business District, and other areas with high foreign residency or biotech industry concentrations. In principle, no more than two hospitals will be set up in a single special functional zone or foreign residential area.

2.Eligibility Criteria: 

(1)Foreign investors must be legally registered entities capable of independent civil responsibility.

(2)They should have experience in healthcare investment and management and bring internationally advanced hospital management concepts, models, and services.

(3)Investments should enhance local medical service capacity, technology, and facilities, addressing existing gaps and diversifying healthcare options.

3.Hospital Classification and Restrictions: 

(1)Permitted hospital types include general hospitals, specialized hospitals, and rehabilitation hospitals, all categorized as tertiary-level institutions.

(2)Establishments like psychiatric, infectious disease, hematology, TCM, or integrative medicine hospitals are prohibited.

(3)Certain high-risk medical and ethical practices, including organ transplants, assisted reproduction, and experimental tumor cell therapies, are not permitted.

4.Operational Requirements:

(1)Hospitals may hire foreign, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan medical professionals for short-term practice.

(2)At least 50% of management and healthcare staff must be mainland Chinese nationals.

(3)Information management systems must integrate with municipal and district healthcare platforms, with data servers located within China.

(4)Hospitals meeting insurance regulations may apply for inclusion in the public health insurance system, with additional encouragement to align with domestic and international private health insurance providers.

5.Approval Process and Timelines:

(1)Applications must align with regional health planning and adhere to national joint-venture healthcare regulations.

(2)The district health commission will conduct initial reviews within 10 working days, followed by a decision from the municipal health commission within 20 working days.

(3)For practice registration, the municipal health commission will issue licenses within 45 working days for qualified applications.