10-Aug-16 South Korea bans doctor-patient virtual visits, and expects major demonstrations by doctors and activists when it comes up for a vote in the National Assembly. Medical professionals, including the 100,000 doctors in the KMA who successfully blocked telemedicine in 2014, are calling for "a slower, more collaborative plan of attack that establishes safety protocols." [image: Business Korea]

10-Aug-16 Government hospitals in Malaysia need 16,000 more beds, especially in the Klang Valley, to cater to the increasing number of patients. Malaysia now has a ratio of 1.85 hospital beds per 1,000 population, which does not reach the international standard ratio of 2.50. [image: Berita Daily]

07-Aug-16 Businesses in Japan are looking to cash in on the potential for smartphones and wearable devices as health care trends toward the digital age. They are especially interested in preventive medicine, an area that could help Japan slash its ballooning medical costs. But the environment for startups in Japan is making it difficult to find a viable business model. [image: IStock / The Japan Times]

07-Aug-16 To overcome lacunae, such as lack of adequate doctors and staff in public health institutions, and ensure that medical care is made available promptly to people in far-flung areas, the Maharashtra state government is planning to enable electronic diagnosis and treatment through telemedicine. [image: DNA India]

05-Aug-16 New research shows one in four chronically ill Australians is skipping healthcare because of high costs. James Cook University said the situation was significantly worse in Australia than in Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany. The study found that more than one-third of people with asthma, emphysema and COPD could not afford the treatment they needed. [image: ABC North Queensland / Nathalie Fernbach]