Can Doctors Cut the Public Hospital Cord?

(Beijing) – Dr. Zhang Qiang is living a dream that's shared by most of his fellow doctors in China: He has the freedom to practice his craft – vascular surgery – in more than one hospital.

Unlike the vast majority of doctors nationwide, Zhang can work as a private practitioner while cooperating with as many hospitals as will agree to use his services. It's an arrangement that stands in sharp contrast to the rigidly regulated, government-controlled public hospital system through which most of China's over 2 million doctors toil.