16-May-16 A group of specialist medicos is seeking to counter self-diagnosis and make tertiary medical services more available by providing consultations online. They have established Docto, Australia’s first telemedicine hospital, and have plans to take the business global. The venture has recruited some 50 specialists to its cause and has an agreement with specialist underwriting agency AHI. [image: Gold Coast Bulletin]

16-May-16 China is to increase the number of organ transplant hospitals from 169 to about 300 by 2020. There are currently about 10,000 surgeries performed annually. However, there are 30,000 patients awaiting transplants. In contrast, the United States has more than 300 transplant centers, performing the most transplants worldwide. [image: Newsgd.com]

16-May-16 The Indian medical tourism industry is expected to reach USD6 bn by 2018, with the number of arrivals set to double over the next four years. "Hospitals participating in medical tourism are increasing focus on niche segments; hospitals specialising in dental, reproductive and wellness are also forming a sizeable portion,” said Dr Sudarshan Ballal, Chairman of Manipal Health Enterprises. [image: Deccan Herald]

13-May-16 Pharmacy customers in Australia can now access a GP from their local community pharmacy. ReadyCare is a telemedicine service where customers can talk to a doctor by phone or video 24/7. It is about community pharmacies facilitating access to a quality telemedicine service at times and in areas where a patient’s access to local GP services are limited. [image: AJP Online]

13-May-16 With the Philhealth mandate to cover 100% of the population, demand for quality, affordable healthcare is on the rise. The largest private provider, Metro Pacific, counts eleven hospitals with 3,000 beds. A relatively new entrant is the Qualimed Health Network, owned by Mercado Hospital Group and Ayala Land. Qualimed has seven facilities with four more scheduled to open in 2016. [image: Inquirer]