American Century Medical Group, a leading United States health care company, is expected to open a joint venture general medical hospital in two months, mainly catering for foreign patients.

It will be the first general medical hospital on the mainland with foreign investment - in this case a 75 per cent stake.

The General Hospital of Beijing Civil Aviation Administration holds 15 per cent, while the remaining 10 per cent is held by a pharmaceuticals firm in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, according to Ricky Yeung, chief executive officer of American Century Medical Group.

Named Beijing De An General Hospital, it is the first facility opened by American Century Medical Group outside its home market.

With expertise in treatment and health care provided by more than 30 doctors from the US and Canada, De An ensures western-style high quality care. Doctors and nurses are all bilingual.

It is also the only joint venture hospital that provides general medical services in China - others available all specialize in certain departments, according to Shun Young, president of the hospital.

A membership hospital, De An is scheduled to open in late August or early September.

Young said there is great demand for high-quality, western health services in large cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

"We intended to focus on Americans only when we came up with such an idea, but later we found people from other countries and regions living in Beijing - Japan, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, are also in need of such services," explained Young.

Young noted that foreign companies spend a huge sum on sending sick employees out of the mainland for medical treatment every year, often to Hong Kong, Australia and the US.

"It is costly, and sometimes quite dangerous for patients as it takes much time during the journey, but our services will help tackle that problem," said Young.

Young said the group began marketing its China-based membership medical services in the United States two years ago, mostly targeting large companies, which are likely to be De An's first patients.

A member of the US medical insurance associations Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the group will offer US insurance services to patients that receive medical treatment at the hospital.

"We will first build basic departments - examinations, surgery, paediatrics, gynaecology and obstetrics... and then develop our niche programmes, such as plastic surgery and organ transplant," said Young.

The group is considering opening similar hospitals in Shanghai and Tianjin, and may also expand into Southeast Asia in the future.

(China Daily July 1, 2005)