Experts suggest ways to improve child health services
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Jiang Yuwu, director of the pediatrics department at Peking University First Hospital, says it is understandable that people rush to big and specialist hospitals because they want to get their children the best healthcare from top experts, especially when they don't trust doctors in primary care or small hospitals.
He says if fewer people go to small hospitals, it's less likely small hospitals can develop, and the more crowded big and specialist hospitals will be - resulting in a vicious circle in the healthcare system.
As to the opinions that small hospitals are incompetent, Jiang says he believes doctors in small hospitals are good enough to treat common diseases, and when they cannot treat the disease, they will recommend the child to suitable hospitals.
Besides, in big and specialist hospitals where lots of patients gather, children easily get cross-infections, Jiang adds.
He suggests the government invest more into pediatric primary care and small hospitals, reduce medication prices there while increasing prices in big and specialist hospitals. Such moves, he says, will encourage parents to go to primary care when their children have only minor ailments.
