11-Oct-16 Baidu - China's biggest search engine - has introduced an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot to connect with patients and suggest diagnoses to doctors. The bot is designed to be the first port of call for a person feeling sick. A patient poses a health query to 'Melody', which responds with further questions, and compares responses with Baidu's database. [image: VCG / Getty Images]

11-Oct-16 Hong Kong’s most prominent medical school will revamp its training programme for medical students to give them more comprehensive training not only in public wards, but also for the first time in a new private teaching hospital and a related facility in Shenzhen. [image: South China Morning Post]

05-Oct-16 Chinese conglomerate Fosun International is in advanced talks to acquire Hospital da Bahia, a Brazilian hospital in the city of Salvador, for about BRL1 bn (USD308 mn). Brazilian business daily Valor Economico reported that Fosun is also looking to spend an additional BRL2 bn on other acquisitions to form a Brazilian hospital chain. [image: Fosun International Ltd]

03-Oct-16 Intuitive Surgical is expanding into robotic-assisted catheter-based medical devices through a JV with Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical. These devices will use IP from Intuitive Surgical and will focus on diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. R&D and manufacturing will take place in Shanghai. Intuitive Surgical will oversee distribution outside China while the JV will be in charge within China. [image: Asian Scientist Magazine]

02-Oct-16 A pioneering Singapore fertility expert will head efforts to help Chinese women who find it hard to conceive, by setting up medical centres in China. They set up their first in Xiamen two years ago, and will open a centre in Chengdu by Dec-15. "We hope to expand into a network of 600 satellite women's clinics," said CEO Ms Bi. [image: Chew Seng Kim / ST]