Private hospitals in Beijing will have more chances to be competitive with public hospitals, authorities have said.

The Beijing government issued policies aimed at helping private hospitals develop on Thursday.

The policies include opening the health service market to private companies and giving them priority when the city is planning to build a new hospital or other health institution.

Private hospitals are also likely to invest more in public hospitals and will receive permission to obtain new land for building new compounds in the same way public hospitals do.

The policies stipulate that private non-profit hospitals provide health services at the prices set by the government, while other private hospitals prices are market based.

Sun Zhigang, director of the medical reform office of the State Council said on Thursday that the government encourages the development of private non-profit hospitals. However, he also said private hospitals should develop into providing special, quality and high-class health services, while public hospitals cover basic health services.

There are 9,699 medical institutions in Beijing, including 3,175 private medical institutions. About 40,000 people work for private medical facilities, accounting for 17 percent of the city’s health workers.

Ding Xiangyang, vice mayor of the city, said the government will come up with measures to implement these policies within two months.