GP shortage hampers family doctor service

Low salaries and high patient numbers are causing physicians to shy away from the program, as Wang Xiaodong reports.

Despite recent improvements to the medical cover provided by general practitioners in China, the family doctor service is still in its infancy and will require regular improvements to meet expectations, the top health authority has said.

By the end of last month, GPs had signed treatment contracts with more than 500 million people, accounting for more than 35 percent of the population, according to Liu Liqun, an official for grassroots health at the National Health and Family Planning Commission, speaking at a conference in Beijing on Dec 17.