Covid-19: China’s ‘exhausted’ doctors and nurses work long hours for reduced pay
- Doctors and nurses in some of China’s public hospitals are facing pay cuts or salary delays amid a surge in coronavirus cases
- Beijing’s zero-Covid policy over the past three years has exacerbated fiscal strain on some local governments
Already overwhelmed by the surge of infections after Beijing’s abrupt shift from its zero-Covid policy, doctors and nurses in some Chinese public hospitals are facing pay cuts or salary delays that have hammered morale.
Dr Zhou, a surgeon at a hospital in a large southern city, said he has not been paid for three months following the recent influx of Covid-19 patients.
“The last payment we received was much less than usual,” said Zhou, who wished to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of talking to the media.
His salary was cut by nearly 4,000 yuan (US$590) in September.
If we quit at this time, [the hospital] will put our personnel files on a blacklist
“The hospital has also cancelled our quarterly and year-end awards in 2022, and medical staff morale is now very low,” said the doctor, who has worked long hours to treat infections.