Chinese authorities unveiled a barrage of new measures on April 9, which consisted of relaxing price controls covering non-public hospital services and encouraging the private sector to build healthcare institutions.

The measures were announced in a joint circular by the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Health and Family Planning Commission and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

The measures are aimed at giving private organizations more leeway to charge what they want for medical services and to encourage competition, according to the circular.

Authorities want private capital to enter the healthcare sector as soon as possible to increase the supply of medical services, and in turn to help ease the problem of inadequate health provisions available to the public.

The circular also specified that all provincial governments have to publicize a directory listing all public hospitals within their regions before the end of June.