For China’s hospitals, two-child policy means double the trouble due to lack of paediatricians
The mainland had just over 93,400 paediatricians in 2014, but estimates suggest more than double that number are needed to cope with demand
They line up for hours at hospitals in big cities around the country – anxious parents searching for treatment or a diagnosis for their child’s illness. It’s a wait that can seem like an eternity and the consultation is often over in minutes.
The mainland has a shortage of paediatricians, with a little more than 93,400 practising in 2014, half the number needed, according to some estimates.
The specialists must contend with demanding workloads and parents who sometimes fly into violent rages when they receive unfortunate news. Medical experts expect the situation to worsen as the switch to the two-child policy begins to have an effect.
Sun Meiyue knows all too well the strain of working on the medical front line. She is a leading neonatologist at the children’s hospital affiliated with Zhejiang University’s School of Medicine. The shortage of paediatricians is a long-standing problem, yet little has been done to tackle it.
“No one is willing to be a paediatrician,” Sun said. “Compared with their counterparts in departments dealing with adults, paediatricians are busier, bear higher risks and earn far less than other doctors such as surgeons.”
She said the more pragmatic ones had left the field, so the doctors who stayed behind would become even busier.