SHANGHAI -- DeltaHealth Hospital·Shanghai has been granted an operating license in Shanghai, making it the city's first wholly foreign-owned hospital and China's first foreign-owned cardiovascular specialty hospital.

The license for wholly foreign-owned medical institutions was issued by the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission on Friday, as the latest development following China's expanded opening-up policy in the healthcare sector.

The hospital, established as a joint venture in 2016, specializes in cardiovascular care and was included in Shanghai's medical insurance system in 2018. In May 2024, Swire Pacific Limited completed a transaction to become the largest shareholder of DeltaHealth.

In September 2024, China issued notice of the pilot program for expanding opening-up in the healthcare sector, with Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin designated among the nine provinces and municipalities to launch wholly foreign-funded hospital trials.

Experts believe this will help bring advanced medical technologies and services from overseas, meeting the growing demand for high-quality healthcare in China.