Hong Kong-listed private pediatric, obstetric and gynecological healthcare provider New Century Healthcare officially established a pediatric ear, nose and throat center in Beijing on Monday, to further tap the high-end pediatric healthcare market.

"We see tremendous opportunities in private pediatric healthcare, and we want to strengthen our market presence with the new center," said Xin Hong, deputy president with the company.?

Government policy incentives for private healthcare sector and people's increasing need for high-end healthcare service have boosted private healthcare in China, and demand in pediatric sector, especially the high end, remains unmet, although in some areas, such as obstetrics and gynecological healthcare, the competition has become very fierce, Xin said, who is also the company's chief operation officer.

Running a pediatric department used to generate very low investment returns with high risks, as children, especially the young ones, are unable to properly describe their conditions, and pediatricians need to be patient and experienced to avoid mistakes. Thus, pediatric departments in the public system gradually declined over the past years, and when private sectors started to take off in recent years, investors became more interested in easier sectors such as obstetrics and gynecological healthcare, she said.

"The gap between demand and supply determines that private pediatric healthcare is set to boom, as Chinese people now have deeper pocket for quality service they believe worthy to pay for, and as people have increasing acceptance for healthcare from private providers," Xin said.

The company started with a pediatric hospital more than a decade ago, and has witnessed the increase in demand, she said.

"Ear, nose and throat related health conditions in children are common but are not easy to diagnose and treat. With the new center, we hope to serve our patients better," said Sun Peng, director with the newly established center, on the opening ceremony held in New Century Women's and Children's Hospital, Beijing.?

The center's physician team includes a number of top pediatric ear, nose and throat specialists with expertise for complicated conditions, such as eardrum operation, speech development and hearing disorders, and head and neck surgery in young children.

Patients can make appointments through hotline and app to visit the center' doctors, or see them online with internet diagnosis technologies, in the company's affiliated hospitals they choose.