SOME district level hospitals in Shanghai will be converted into care homes for the elderly or postoperative rehabilitation centers, a government press release said yesterday.

The document, issued by the city's human resources and social security bureau, provided few details of the plan, but said that over the next five years "promoting medical care services for the elderly" will be a priority.

It gave the example of Dongnan Hospital in Huangpu District, which after undergoing a renovation program in August was relaunched as the Ruijin Rehabilitation Hospital.