The document said public hospitals in China are also being encouraged to seek investment or even privatization, particularly those run by State-owned enterprises.

By 2009, private hospitals accounted for 36 percent of the total number of medical institutions in the country, official statistics showed.

However, due largely to policy restraints, few of them were large-scale hospitals.

Because private hospitals are so small, they currently only offer about 5 percent of the country's total inventory of sickbeds.

"With sound guidance and management, the private hospital, which is indispensable to China's medical sector, will play a more important role in satisfying people's medical needs," said Zhang Mao, vice-minister of health.

Matching policies will be issued by the ministry to grant medical workers at private hospitals equal opportunities in training and promotion, he noted.

"That, however, takes time," Zhang added.

The new round of medical reforms that started in 2009 aim to bring affordable medical care to everyone by 2015.

To meet the objective, the State Council has vowed to invest 85 billion yuan (US$13 billion) in the health and medical sectors by 2012.

(Xinhua News Agency December 4, 2010)