Where are all our pediatricians?

DATA SHOW that there are more than 200 million children under the age of 14 in China, yet there are less than 100,000 pediatricians nationwide. At least 200,000 more are needed to meet the demand. China Youth Daily comments:

As a result of the shortage, pediatricians have to work so intensively during outbreaks of diseases that some reportedly have no time to go to the restroom. They suffer in health, too. Some months ago, a hospital in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, posted a notice saying the pediatric department was closed temporarily because all its pediatricians had fallen ill due to their heavy work load.

The situation will definitely become graver because the number of newborns will increase with the change in the family planning policy to allow all couples to have two children.