Mass testing creates millions of jobs on front line of China’s battle against Covid-19
- Medical resources under great pressure, with normal operation of hospitals disrupted
- Gig jobs fill the gap as unemployed healthcare workers respond to surging demand
A doctor in the emergency unit of a hospital in Guangzhou, the provincial capital, he was the only testing worker in one village when a new outbreak struck in mid-April.
He was assigned to assist in mass testing after intensive training. Wearing full protective gear, Wu was drenched with sweat after testing 100 to 150 people an hour for 11 hours. In three days, he tested over 5,000 people in local communities and at schools.
“It’s really tiring … And to be honest, there’s no gain at all,” the 25-year-old said. “I’m a doctor, I have routine work at the emergency unit. I cannot say if the patients or the tests need me more, but I’m inclined to the former.”
Health authorities have since relaxed rules that required tests to be administered by licensed medical professionals, while encouraging big cities to hire more “personnel with health-related professional qualifications”. Many cities now use third-party testing companies, boosting the demand for temporary sample-takers and laboratory technicians.
Since the pandemic started in late 2019, full-time medical workers have been assigned to test sites as part of their daily jobs or in their spare time, in many cases without extra pay.