German-funded hospital to open in Shanghai next year

A German-funded hospital under construction in Shanghai is expected to open autumn next year, said German healthcare operator Artemed Group.

A German-funded Shanghai Artemed Hospital is under construction in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone in Shanghai and expected to open in autumn 2018. [Photo: sh-ftz-hospital.com]

Basic construction on Shanghai Artemed Hospital in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone will be completed at the end of this year and equipment installation will begin, the company said Thursday.

There are 200 beds in the first phase of the hospital and the number will rise to 450 when the second phase is completed. The comprehensive hospital focuses on orthopaedics.

"China is one of the world's largest medical markets with remarkable growth. We hope to bring better and more sophisticated technologies to China," said Clemens Guth, chief executive officer of Artemed Group.

A goal of the hospital is to be included into China's medicare system, said Guth.

Shanghai Artemed Hospital is a joint venture between China and Germany. It was among the first group of foreign medical institutions the Shanghai FTZ introduced as it opened the sector to foreign investors.

The hospital medical staff will comprise Chinese and German doctors.

It recently signed a property rental contract with Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone Group.

The hospital will provide services for local patients in Shanghai and people from neighboring provinces such as Zhejiang and Jiangsu.

"With the Shanghai FTZ as the forefront, China has opened up its medical market. The introduction of foreign medical institutions such as Artemed will bring health welfare to citizens," said Li Wei, deputy general manager of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone Group. 

A latest meeting of China's Central Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform on Tuesday called for enhanced efforts to allow foreign investors easier access to China's key sectors via a negative list approach.

A statement of the meeting outlined several sectors that should further open to foreign investment, including services, manufacturing and mining.