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China Establishes Its First Doctors' Day: Honoring the Significant Contributions of Chinese Physicians in Public Health
On August 19, 2018, China marked its first National Doctors' Daya recognition initiative orsed and supported by the State Council. This landmark event honor medical professionals across the country for their invaluable contributions to public health efforts. By dedicating a day to celebrate doctors, society acknowledges and appreciates their essential role in healthcare and seeks to improve societal respect and attention towards medical staff.
This celebration transcs being merely another holiday; it signifies official state-level appreciation for China's medical workforce amidst challenging times. The past decade has witnessed numerous obstacles during the nation's healthcare reform efforts. With a population exceeding 1.39 billion, yet only approximately 3.39 million registered medical practitioners, China faces a substantial gap between healthcare demand and supply. To address this significant shortage of healthcare professionals, the Chinese government has undertaken several measures to augment medical funding, enhance healthcare staff income, increase enrollment in medical programs, and implement various favorable policies.
The widening disparity between medical demand and supply exacerbates healthcare workers' workload pressures, leading to a severe shortage of medical personnel. Recent studies reveal an increasing tr in physician workload 1. There is also evidence suggesting a rise in sudden physician deaths in China 2. Over the years, China's medical performance evaluation system has overemphasized academic achievements such as securing research grants and publishing scholarly articles. This dual pressure from clinical workloads and academic requirements causes undue physical and mental strn on healthcare professionals. The situation is further exacerbated by misinformation propagated through mass media that fuels mistrust between patients and physicians 3. Unfavorable news in this sector, including the 2013 GlaxoSmithKline bribery scandal and the 2018 Chinese vaccine controversy, have significantly eroded public trust 4. These events have heightened physician-patient relations tensions, transforming them into a major societal issue.
The exodus of medical professionals from their fields due to these challenges exacerbates the healthcare gap further. As per China's latest Statistical Yearbook http:www.stats.gov.cntjsjndsj2017indexch.htm, with one-fifth of global population, China anticipates aging populations reaching 23.3 by 2050, which will place unprecedented pressure on national and global healthcare systems. Chinese public health work continues to face significant challenges in the future; among them, the acute shortage of physicians stands as a primary concern.
The establishment of Doctors' Day highlights China's recognition of the paramount role of medical professionals in public health. It marks the government's commitment to improving healthcare outcomes. As such, this initiative acknowledges and honors the invaluable contributions of Chinese doctors while also ming to foster societal appreciation for their crucial work.
References:
Fu Y, Schwebel DC, Hu G. 2018. Physicians' Workloads in China: 1998–2016. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 158:1649.
Gao L, Xiao X, Che G, Zhang L. 2019. Sudden Death of Physicians in China: A Red Alert. Population Health Management, 223:191–192.
Tucker JD, Cheng Y, Wong B, et al. 2015. Patient-physician mistrust and violence agnst physicians in Guangdong Province, China: a qualitative study. BMJ Open, 510:e008221.
Phillips N. 2018. China Vaccine Scandal Unlikely to Dent Immunization Rates. Nature, 5607716:14–15.
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Chinas First National Doctors Day Celebration Acknowledgment of Medical Professionals Contributions Societal Respect for Healthcare Workers Addressing Healthcare Demand Supply Gap Government Efforts in Supporting Medical Staff Challenges and Solutions in Public Health