Beijing urging social capital for medical services

Beijing (CNS) – The medical service market will have more room to survive and thrive with social capital of a higher quota and quality, according to a draft issued by the Beijing municipal government on February 9.

The draft is now subject to a 7-day phase of public opinion gathering.

In the past, social capital was permitted to boost the sponsorship of medical institutes, but in fact it was difficult for it to realize its potential in the industry as long as powerful public institutes outclassed the scale and scope of their mission, said Han Xiaofang, director of the medical reform office.

According to the draft, making a medical services fund to open new medical institutes an attractive destination for social capital will be a priority for the government. A fair bidding process is also top of the agenda when more than one applicant is involved.

At present, Beijing is home to 3162 medical institutes funded by social capital, a third of all medical institutes. This share is not small, but it is a mixed bag in terms of quality. Only 11.67 percent of people choose to visit them and the rest stream into public institutes.

The government will not only encourage more medical institutes through social capital, but also enhance supervision over their clinical services, the qualifications of medical personnel, their medical services fees and drug prices, said Han.