The number of public hospitals in China had increased from about 9,000 in 1978 to over 14,000 in 2009, according to a statement from China's Ministry of Health on Tuesday.

Moreover, privately-run hospitals also saw rapid growth, the statement said. Legal private hospitals first appeared in China in 1984, and by 2009 there were 5,736 private hospitals, making up 29 percent of the country's total number, the statement said.

China has launched a public hospital reform project in 16 pilot cities, such as Anshan city in Northeast China's Liaoning province, this year.

Such reform projects include favorable policies for public hospitals in city planning, social insurance, medical staff training and financial funding.

(Xinhua News Agency November 10, 2010)