MANY CHINESE hospitals have closed their pediatric clinics recently, because of the shortage of pediatricians in China. New Express Daily says greater efforts are needed to protect the rights of children:

The number of pediatricians in China has dropped from 105,000 to around 100,000 within five years, according to official data. On average, there are only 43 doctors per 100,000 children. In the US, there are 146 doctors per 100,000 children.

Low salaries, high pressure and high risk are the main reasons for people's reluctance to become pediatricians. Even if a child is given proper treatment conflicts can still arise. Many children are too young to give precise descriptions of their symptoms but parents still have high expectations of the doctors.