New child policy not good news for pediatricians
Print Edition
China’s introduction of the two-child policy this year has caused worry that the change will further aggravate a current shortage of pediatricians.
The number of pediatricians in China dropped from 105,000 to about 100,000 within five years, according to China’s public health statistical yearbook in 2015. On average, there are only 43 doctors per 100,000 children.
Wang Baoxi, a pediatrician with the Shaanxi branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, said the situation is even worse in smaller cities and counties.
In Weinan, which is about 70 kilometers from Shaanxi’s capital Xi’an, there are 17 doctors to care for 100,000 children.
The Lingnan branch of No. 3 hospital affiliated with Sun Yat-sen University posted a notice telling people emergency treatment services in the pediatric department were canceled due to lack of doctors.
“Since the department was established in 2011, we have employed eight doctors. Four have left,” said Shan Yutao, who works in the hospital’s medical management office.
In 2014, the number of patients in the hospital exceeded 63,000.
The number increased 12 percent in 2015.
The shortage of pediatricians has made it difficult.
Tangdu Hospital, one of the best in Xi’an, receives more than 500 patients daily, but has only 36 doctors.
“In the mornings I receive more than 100 outpatients,” said Wang Baoxi.
The high demand means he can only spend only a few minutes with each.
In Xi’an Central Hospital there are 16 pediatricians, of which three are senior doctors.
“We have lowered our standards, but still we don’t have enough pediatricians,” said Luo Zhijuan, director of the pediatric department.
Statistics from the health and family planning commission of Shaanxi show that among all pediatricians, less than a third are graduates, and another third are graduates from junior colleges.
Low salary, high pressure and high risk are the main causes behind people’s reluctance to become pediatricians, said Luo.
Doctor Fu Rong said she works treating outpatients two days per week, does group consultations for two days and visits the ward every day.
“My working time a day is, on average, more than 10 hours,” she said.
Even when a child is given treatment conflict arises.
Child patients are usually too young to give a precise description of their symptoms but parents have high expectations from the doctors.
“Conflicts are not rare,” said Li Pei, a nurse with the Xi’an Central Hospital.
“We always find ourselves facing anxious parents.”
However, pediatricians are not well-paid.
“Pediatricians earn 30 percent less than other departments, because the department earns less income,” said Xia Ling, another nurse.
In China, medicines and examinations are the primary source of income for a medical department and children are prescribed less medicine than adults.
The dosage for 10 to 15 children equals that of roughly one adult.
A decrease of pediatric graduates has also fueled the shortage.
In 1998, the Ministry of Education abolished pediatric departments in universities.
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