China’s public hospital doctors to lose iron rice bowls

 01-Aug-16, South China Morning Post

For decades, working as a public hospital doctor was considered an “iron rice bowl” job – a career with a government salary guaranteed until retirement. Though not lucrative, the positions came with a good pension, social welfare benefits such as housing and a promising promotion track.

Image: SMCP

Now the bowl is about to be broken. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security has announced it is studying hiring practices in semi-government institutions such as public hospitals and universities.

The government decides how many people it needs to employ in senior positions at such facilities and hires are made according to the quota. The approach creates inefficiencies and the ministry aims to shift all such iron rice bowl jobs, including those of public hospital doctors, to contract positions.

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