IN AN ATTEMPT TO GUARANTEE THAT those working for public hospitals are paid in compliance with their professional performance and services, an overhaul of the salaries for medical staff is to be tried out in chosen regions. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Saturday:

For years public hospitals of the Chinese mainland have adopted a uniform salary system paid for with government funds. This has meant medical staff receive regular fixed payments, but that they often find their wages do not match the effort they put into their work.

Underpaying hospital staff compromises the quality of public medical services. Treating doctors and nurses, whose education and training takes longer than most other professions, as normal civil servants in terms of payment fails to see the unique role hospitals play in the public service system.