Myanmar allows 70% foreign ownership of healthcare JVs
Foreign companies in Myanmar will be allowed to invest in private hospitals and clinics on a 70:30 ratio with local partners, according to Deputy Health Minister Thein Thein Htay, Eleven Myanmar reported on August 22.
Currently, most doctors, nurses and skilled workers in private hospitals come from public hospitals, and the latter have been facing difficulties in providing necessary healthcare when it is needed. With foreign partners, it is expected to be easier for them to recruit doctors and specialists who can serve full time to solve this problem. But a 100 per cent ownership will not be allowed.
The ministry said it has invested $75 million which it received as reserve budget to buy medicine and equipment to provide free healthcare to emergency patients, pregnant women and children under the age of five in public hospitals.
However,while the recent political reforms in Myanmar hold promise for the country’s future, its long-neglected healthcare system faces a number of challenges before it can deliver effective and affordable care to the people.
Although the government increased spending on healthcare in 2013, the rise brought healthcare spending to just 3.9 per cent of the country’s total budget. While the increase is promising, Myanmar remains one of the world’s lowest countries in terms of total money allocated to healthcare. In comparison, spending on the military was 20.1 per cent of the country’s total budget.
Foreign companies in Myanmar will be allowed to invest in private hospitals and clinics on a 70:30 ratio with local partners, according to Deputy Health Minister Thein Thein Htay, Eleven Myanmar reported on August 22. Currently, most doctors, nurses and skilled workers in private hospitals come from public hospitals, and the latter have been facing difficulties in providing necessary healthcare when it is needed. With foreign partners, it is expected to be easier for them to recruit doctors and specialists who can serve full time to solve this problem. But a 100 per cent ownership will not be allowed. The...
Foreign companies in Myanmar will be allowed to invest in private hospitals and clinics on a 70:30 ratio with local partners, according to Deputy Health Minister Thein Thein Htay, Eleven Myanmar reported on August 22.
Currently, most doctors, nurses and skilled workers in private hospitals come from public hospitals, and the latter have been facing difficulties in providing necessary healthcare when it is needed. With foreign partners, it is expected to be easier for them to recruit doctors and specialists who can serve full time to solve this problem. But a 100 per cent ownership will not be allowed.
The ministry said it has invested $75 million which it received as reserve budget to buy medicine and equipment to provide free healthcare to emergency patients, pregnant women and children under the age of five in public hospitals.
However,while the recent political reforms in Myanmar hold promise for the country’s future, its long-neglected healthcare system faces a number of challenges before it can deliver effective and affordable care to the people.
Although the government increased spending on healthcare in 2013, the rise brought healthcare spending to just 3.9 per cent of the country’s total budget. While the increase is promising, Myanmar remains one of the world’s lowest countries in terms of total money allocated to healthcare. In comparison, spending on the military was 20.1 per cent of the country’s total budget.
