Beijing to cut approval time for foreign clinics to 10 days

Beijing will further cut the red tape for foreign clinics starting from September 1.

The Beijing Health Commission issued a notice on Wednesday granting district or county-level administrations the right of approve medical examination institutions, Sino-foreign joint out-patient services or clinics (including those in Hong Kong and Macao), and specialty hospitals with 100 beds or fewer.

The notice is part of a larger effort to invite private investment in medical institutions. China wants to encourage traditional Chinese medicine hospitals, recovery hospitals, nursing hospitals and specialty hospitals, and to encourage individuals to open clinics.

According to the notice, the government should make a decision about whether to allow the setup of such a clinic within 10 business days. If a decision can't be reached by then, the time could be extended to 45 days at the most, with official approval.