Breathing fresh air into medical reforms(4)

Talent building

Primary medical institutions should give young medical talent more opportunities for career development, several legislators and political advisers suggested at the session.

Political adviser Jiang Qi said that the current system makes primary medical institutions unattractive to medical graduates as the pay is usually lower and there are fewer chances for promotion and to obtain a technical title.

She suggested that job packages and career opportunities at primary medical institutions be more in line with tertiary hospitals. This would include the chance of job promotions and housing subsidies.

In a proposal submitted to the session by the Shanghai committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, an alliance of different-level hospitals was suggested in order to remove the need for a single hospital to sign work contracts with new recruits. This new employment structure would help guarantee recruits have access to the same opportunities for their career development.

Such alliances have been established in many cities over the past decade in an effort to provide medical services of similar standards at different facilities.

Zhang, from Huashan Hospital, suggested doctors from primary institutions undergo regular training at higher-level hospitals to improve their professional skills.

"The continuous improvement of doctors' abilities will make the public more willing to turn to primary medical institutions," he said. "An increase in patient numbers will in turn improve a doctor's diagnosis and treatment ability, which will motivate doctors to do better work."

Other suggestions included well-known doctors from renowned hospitals working temporarily at primary medical institutions on a regular basis to attract residents to such facilities and build the capacity of the centers' medical teams.