» The Guangdong provincial health regulator has approved a state-owned hospital to reform into private-owned, the first such case after the release of China's healthcare reform plan.

» The Guangdong Central Hospital of Construction Industry was taken over by its director, Zhang Shiping, and renamed into Guangzhou Minsheng Hospital.

» China's newly released healthcare reform plan has stressed more support for private healthcare institutions.

» But Zhang said private hospitals in China still face policy obstacles, compared with state-owned counterparts.