SHANGHAI, March 15 -- 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.