Timeline

? July 15, 1988

China launches its first hospice care center in Tianjin. The concept was introduced by Michael Hwang, an American professor who gave an introduction while visiting Tianjin Medical University. Tianjin was the birthplace of palliative care in China.

? 1997

Second Hospital Affiliated with Tianjin Medical University opens China's first hospice care wards with 24 beds to give dying patients dignity at the end of life.

? April 16, 2006

Chinese Association for Life Care established in Beijing, providing a new platform for the development of hospice services.

? June 13, 2017

Ma Xiaowei, then-deputy director of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said China had 2,342 medical institutions offering palliative care, including 259 tertiary hospitals and 469 secondary hospitals. More than 7.5 million patients in China need hospice care annually.

? October 2017

China launches five palliative care pilot projects nationwide, starting in Beijing's Haidian district. A year and a half later, significant progress was noted.

? May 20, 2019

National Health Commission releases a notice on a second round of palliative care pilot projects. It said 71 cities across the country, including Shanghai, would host hospice services.