Shanghai is encouraging more social investment to further promote the city's healthcare reform.

Over the past three years, more than 300 private hospitals have been approved in the city, according to Shanghai Health and Family Planning Commission.

Private medical bodies have been listed onto the city's health management and planning work. Meanwhile, elderly care, mental health, pediatrics and obstetrics will be key fields in developing private medical bodies, the commission said.

By the end of 2012, Shanghai had a total of 1,605 private hospitals with 8,400 beds. Their patient numbers account for 6.1 percent of the city's total.