广州市外商独资医院设置审批和执业登记工作指引政策解读英文版

　　Interpretation of the Guidelines (Trial) for the Approval and Practice Registration of Wholly Foreign-Owned Hospitals in Guangzhou

　　The Guidelines (Trial) for the Approval and Practice Registration of Wholly Foreign-Owned Hospitals in Guangzhou(hereinafter referred to as the “Guidelines”) were issued on January 9, 2025, and came into effect on the same date. To ensure effective implementation of the Guidelines, the interpretation is provided as follows:

　　I. Background of Policy Formulation

　　With the continuous development of China’s healthcare sector and the deepening of opening-up, attracting foreign investment to establish medical institutions has become an important approach to promoting diversified healthcare service supply and improving the overall level of medical services. As a national central city, Guangzhou has a strong foundation of medical resources and an open market environment, giving it significant potential and advantages in attracting wholly foreign-owned hospitals. To accelerate the expansion of opening-up in Guangzhou’s healthcare sector, standardize the approval and practice registration procedures for wholly foreign-owned hospitals, and provide clear and convenient policy guidance for foreign investors, the Guidelines were formulated.

　　II. Basis for Formulation

　　The Guidelines are mainly based on the Work Plan for Expanding Opening-up in the Wholly-Owned Hospital Sectorissued by the National Health Commission in 2024, as well as the Guangdong Province Work Plan (Trial) for Expanding Opening-up in the Wholly-Owned Hospital Sectorjointly issued by the Guangdong Provincial Health Commission, the Guangdong Provincial Department of Commerce, the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention. These plans provide the policy framework and guiding principles for pilot opening-up of wholly owned hospitals in Guangdong Province. On this basis, Guangzhou has further refined and clarified the requirements, procedures, and relevant conditions for the approval and practice registration of wholly foreign-owned hospitals, with the aim of ensuring effective policy implementation and standardized operations.

　　III. Main Contents

　　The Guidelines consist of four parts: application conditions, approval procedures, application materials, and acceptance and approval requirements. The main points are as follows:

　　1. Application Conditions
Investors are required to have demonstrated experience in healthcare investment and management. The category and level of the wholly foreign-owned hospital must be clearly defined, and prohibited diagnostic and treatment activities are specified.

　　2. Approval Procedures
Approval procedures differ depending on whether the hospital is operated on a for-profit or non-profit basis. In general, the process includes four stages: registration, preliminary review and submission, provincial-level review, and issuance of the establishment approval certificate or medical practice license.

　　3. Application Materials
The Guidelines provide a detailed list of application materials required for the establishment approval and practice registration of wholly foreign-owned hospitals. The specific list can be downloaded from the official website of the Guangzhou Municipal Health Commission or the Guangdong Government Service Platform.

　　4. Acceptance and Approval Requirements
The Guidelines clearly specify the acceptance and approval criteria for the establishment approval and practice registration stages, as well as six categories of circumstances under which approval will not be granted and eight categories of circumstances under which registration will not be granted.

　　In addition, the Guidelines include flowcharts for the establishment approval and practice registration of wholly foreign-owned hospitals, visually illustrating each step of the approval process to facilitate understanding and compliance by applicants.

　　Relevant Documents: 《广州市外商独资医院设置审批和执业登记工作指引（试行）》