The State Council issued a circular on June 15 on policies and measures to speed up development of nonpublic medical agencies.

New policies and measures will “promote the scale and level of the nonpublic medical institutions, better meet the diversified, multitiered demands of the public, and inject new impetus into the economic and social transformation and development”, the document said.

It noted that some obstacles within the systems and mechanisms, as well as restraints imposed by policies, “should be eliminated”.

To lower the threshold for engagement in the medical sector, the country will further regulate the procedures for examining and approving the establishment of medical institutions and make public the planning of regional medical resources.

Procedures, entities and deadlines for approving the establishment of nonpublic medical institutions “should be clarified and made public”, and it is not allowed to add new approval items or raise the threshold for approvals.

The country will also reduce limits for approving operations of the agencies as well as control the scale and further regulate the reform of public hospitals.

In order to expand investing and financing channels, the country will enforce financial and funding supports, diversify the fundraising channels, and optimize financing policies.

Localities are encouraged to “establish medical care industry investment foundations” in order to provide funding and subsidies for nonpublic medical agencies, the document said.

Financial institutions are encouraged to innovate their products and solicit paradigms in accordance with the characteristics of medical agencies, and financial operations serving entrepreneurship, small and micro-businesses are also encouraged, it added.

Aiming at a greater transfer and sharing of resources, the country will promote the joint building and sharing of large-scale equipment, promote multisided licensed practices of doctors, and strengthen cooperation regarding operations.

Cooperation is encouraged between public medical institutions and nonpublic ones, and doctors are encouraged to work at the community level, as well as in remote or mountainous areas and areas short of medical resources, according to the document.