China thinks small in prescription for healthcare

Wall Street Journal (subscription required), March 11, 2008

The Chinese government is considering shifting emphasis from the country's large, state-run hospitals to a parallel system with thousands of smaller primary-care clinics. The plan on the table would expand and boost funding for the myriad clinics, offering primary care to people in both rural and urban areas. One of the biggest questions has been what to do with the state hospitals, many of which have thrived almost as independent businesses.