Good news for this sunrise industry! The government targets two million foreign patients and annual medical receipts of $2.3 billion from abroad by 2010.

To achieve the target the government has drawn up six strategies to promote the country as a medical-service hub to the international community.

The policy was introduced already in 2004 to promote modern health care services through private hospitals and traditional services such as spas. The number of foreign patients increased from 630,000 in 2004 to 1.5 million in 2007. Revenue from this segment also grew, from $0.5 billion in 2004 to $1.2 billion in 2007.

To reach the goal of two million international patients by 2010, six strategies have been drawn up to further drive the medical-hub policy:

First, quality and diversity of health care services will be further improved to meet global standards. Certificates from international accreditation institutions are required, while technology must be developed to address chronic diseases.