Dearth of Doctors in China Said to Put Children's Health at Risk

(Beijing) – An acute shortage of doctors to treat children is taking a toll on public health services and the recent policy shift to allow families to have two children will only make matters worse, experts say.

The country has a shortfall of at least 200,000 pediatricians, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said. Nearly half of all registered pediatricians left their positions between 2005 and 2011 due to poor pay, long working hours and dim career prospects, its data show.