Cardinal Health spies opportunity in Sichuan

A boom is on the horizon in the market for medical products in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan, said the CEO of a firm that specializes in the field.

Chen Zhiliang, general manager of Cardinal Health (Sichuan) Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, said the region's ever-growing medical infrastructure is certain to create a large demand for his company's products.

The province is home to 91 Grade A hospitals, including West China Hospital, the largest in the country in terms of beds, and 392 classified as Grade B, Chen said. Each year, hospitals above the county level purchase about 25 billion yuan ($4.1 billion) worth of pharmaceuticals, he added.