Having experienced a lack of specialists in pediatrics China proposed to train the future pediatricians for free

Almaty. February 1. Silkroadnews – Having started to implement the policy of “two children” China faced a difficult situation: the number of pediatricians is getting reduced in the country on a yearly basis, the agency Xinhua informs.
At present the major hospital of mother and child in Guangxi (South China) province employs about 120 pediatricians, they work 12 hours a day and receive more than 100 patients a day.
According to statistics, over the past five years the number of pediatricians in the country has fallen from 105 to 100 thousand people, in average the indicator shows 0.43 pediatrician only per one thousand children, which is much lower compared to the total number of physicians (2.06) per thousand people.
Reduction in the number of pediatricians is directly related to a decrease in the number of graduating medical students on pediatrician specialty, the publication says.
A study conducted by the Member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Qian Syuemin showed that since 1999 many medical universities and institutions have stopped recruiting students on pediatrics specialty. Now only five schools, including Chongqing Medical University and Shanghai Jiaotong University, teach and graduate pediatricians. For 16 years since 1999 the number of pediatricians in China rose by 5000 physicians only.
“If not to take the appropriate measures, the situation will continue to worsen with pediatricians and result in a serious social problem,” - said Qian Syuemin at the regular session of the CPPCC Committee of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, having reminded about the pediatricians’ deficit issue.
According to him, given the average number of doctors in the country, Guangxi only shall train 17 736 pediatricians.
In this regard, Qian Syuemin and other members of the District Committee of CPPCC proposed to the government to deepen the reform of the five-year undergraduate education in the relevant medical specialties in a timely manner, increase the intake of students on these specialties, provide free training for students interested in getting a pediatrician specialty.
To address the problem of acute shortage of pediatricians in rural areas of the country, along with free education for future pediatricians, they also made a proposal to the health authorities at the county level to sign the contracts for future employment with the students as a guarantee that the young doctors will work according to their specialty after the graduation.