Shanghai plans add 16,000 beds in nursing homes over the coming two years as part of efforts to improve care for the elderly.

"We will continue to improve the care level for elderly people and establish a comprehensive nursing system for the aged," said Liu Xuefeng, head of the policy and regulation department of Shanghai Health and Family Planning Commission.

Liu made the comments over the weekend at the second Health Policy Decision Makers Forum Asia-Pacific in Shanghai.

"Shanghai has a large number of elderly people. Providing them with adequate services is a challenge for the government. The community-based nursing system is expected to provide a more efficient service and better quality of care," he said.

Liu said the city will also conduct a pilot program providing special care and nursing services for residents aged over 80.

At the two-day forum, scholars and healthcare experts mainly discussed how to develop innovative and adapted policies to enhance access to care in the Asia-Pacific region.

The forum was jointly organized by the Institute of Health Economics and Management Asia-Pacific (IHEM), ESSEC Business School and School of Public Health at Fudan University.