Shenzhen hospitals face a growing crisis
A chaotic health-care system is in urgent need of reform, one official says
Urgent reforms are needed for Shenzhen's public hospitals which are overloaded with patients and face an increasing financial burden, the city's health authorities say.
Medical care has become a serious issue in Shenzhen, one of the mainland's richest cities. While it has 1,174 medical centres and hospitals, the city's burgeoning population has outgrown the facilities.
The hospital occupancy rate in Shenzhen is 95.6 per cent on average and could rise to as high as 110 per cent, a health official told the Nanfang Daily. The average hospital occupancy rate on the mainland is only 65 per cent.
'The population of Shenzhen is increasing at a constant high speed. Although the government has invested a lot in public medical facilities, the growth is still lagging behind,' the report quoted the official as saying.
Last year, Shenzhen hospitals treated 30 million patients, while the total number of medical workers totals about 30,000.
The report said the number of doctors per thousand residents in the city was much lower than the national average.
Many residents, particularly those living in suburban areas, often complain about the long waiting times at public hospitals.
Illegal centres have flourished as a result, with some earlier reports estimating that Shenzhen had about 10,000 underground clinics.
The worsening incidence of evasion of medical bills is adding to the problem. The city has a population of 10 million, but only 2 million have permanent residency. The huge floating population has created a headache for hospitals, with many patients not paying their medical bills after receiving treatment.
Last week, the city's Health Bureau said the total amount of unpaid medical bills in Shenzhen last year was 60 million yuan. Many hospitals have a financial crisis. The official said Shenzhen public hospitals were in urgent need of reform. 'There is no clear definition of duty and responsibility at the hospitals. The management is chaotic. Salaries for staff workers are too high and the management does not understand [the] market economy,' he was quoted as saying by the report.
The authorities are also planning to attract more private and foreign resources to develop the medical sector. The Shenzhen Health Bureau is holding talks with Hong Kong doctors about the possibility of allowing them to practise in Shenzhen.
'The talks are going well. We have held several meetings with them. The officials are very positive and are open for ideas,' said Li Sum-wo, chairman of the Association of Licentiates of the Medical Council of Hong Kong.
But he added that there had been no deal reached.
