Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

TEN doctors in Shenzhen were recently presented with awards in recognition of their dedication and contributions to the city’s healthcare sector. Another 10 earned nominations.

Today marks the second Doctors’ Day in China, which is one of the four national days for a certain profession - the other three being Nurses’ Day, Teachers’ Day and Journalists’ Day.

This July, the Shenzhen Medical Doctor Association launched the Shenzhen Doctors’ Award. After a preliminary review, online vote, expert review and public announcement, the results were officially announced at Shenzhen Media Group on Friday night.

“I am honored to be selected as a winner of the doctors’ award in 2019. I think as doctors, we place the life of patients as the first priority from the day we begin to work. This activity has greatly enhanced the understanding and mutual trust between doctors and patients, as well as doctors’ sense of responsibility,” said Han Zhen, a cardiothoracic surgeon with Peking University Shenzhen Hospital.

Li Shengli, director of the ultrasound department with Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, was also honored wit the first Shenzhen Doctors’ Award.

“We hope to check on severely deformed babies that can affect the process of delivery. For some slightly abnormal babies, we hope that the vast majority of mothers-to-be can courageously accept their children,” said Li.

According to statistics, there were 36,321 licensed doctors and assistant doctors in Shenzhen as of the end of 2018, of which 19,939 were males and 16,982 females.

The city had 2.7 doctors per 1,000 people in 2018, up from 2.3 in 2012. The number of licensed doctors at private hospitals accounted for 30.2 percent of the city’s total.

In recent years, Shenzhen has improved the appraisal method for the salaries of medical staff at public hospitals. The average income of medical staff at public hospitals in Shenzhen increased by 22.13 percent from 2015 to 2017, according to the city’s health commission.

Additionally, the city has established a subsidy mechanism for family doctors and will grant a one-off subsistence allowance of up to 350,000 yuan (US$49,706) to medical graduates working at community health centers.