The government may allow hospitals to promote services to foreigners through third parties.

The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said such efforts will only target foreigners not subject to the nation’s Health Insurance Act.

Current law bans hospitals from advertising and using agency services to attract patients.

The Health Ministry said it'll submit to the National Assembly late next month a related revision of the law.

The ministry added that it will hire some six-thousand consultants by 2012 to help foreign patients with entry and departure procedures and facilitate their use of domestic hospital services.