Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

SHENZHEN has taken action to address the shortage of general practitioners (GPs) and to further promote the overall quality of medical services in the city.

According to the latest government gazette, Shenzhen has released a series of measures to improve the incentive mechanism for training GPs. The city also plans to introduce regulations on GP management and establish a new talent evaluation and salary system for GPs within the year.

It has been proposed that Shenzhen should have more than 3.2 GPs per 10,000 permanent residents by 2020 and more than five GPs per 10,000 permanent residents by 2025.

By 2030, there should be more than six GPs per 10,000 permanent residents in Shenzhen, as this ratio should be able to meet the needs of the city’s health-care system.

In order to achieve these goals, educational institutions in Shenzhen are encouraged to set up relevant medical colleges and departments and set up compulsory courses in such areas as general practice.

Additionally, Shenzhen will promote the training of emerging health management professionals at higher vocational colleges, such as rehabilitation therapists, nutritionists, medical social workers and psychological consultants, to meet the needs of family doctor services.

The city will also strengthen the introduction and training of GPs. From 2019 to 2023, GPs will be considered urgently needed talents in Shenzhen. Professionals who meet the requirements can enjoy corresponding housing subsidies and other allowances.

GPs who have been selected for the city’s Pengcheng Talent Program can also qualify for subsidies of up to 200,000 yuan (US$27,925) apiece for additional studies and training in order to elevate their career development.

According to the city’s health commission, there were 3,577 GPs in the city as of 2018. With a permanent resident population of 13.2 million, the number of GPs per 10,000 residents in Shenzhen was 2.75, which demonstrates the gap with other first-tier cities, such as Beijing with 3.96, Shanghai with 3.51, and Guangzhou with 3.47.