Guangdong's hospitals are forbidden from tying employees' wages
to profits, according to a new rule drafted by the provincial
health authorities, which is aimed at improving hospital
services.
Hospitals will be subject to appraisals by expert panels and
those not up to standard will be ordered to make necessary changes,
the Southern Metropolis Daily said Saturday. Hospitals
receiving scores of 700 points and above, out of a maximum 1,000
points, will qualify, the rule says.
Service charges will be one of the main criteria for appraisal.
Hospitals must make service charges public. Each unnecessary item
found in a patient's bill will cost the hospital six points.
Hospital heads will be held responsible first for medical
service problems, according to the rule.
The rule also protects patients' rights including privacy, the
right to choose and the right to be informed, and specialized
medical checks and treatment cannot be carried out until being
agreed to by recipients.
One case of malpractice will cost 10 points and a hospital will
lose six points if one of its doctors is found to have taken
bribes.
To curb the practice of doctors prescribing unnecessary medical
examination aimed at making money, the rule stipulates medical
reports of in-patients must be concluded in 24 hours, x-ray reports
in 30 minutes for emergency treatment and 24 hours in other
cases.
(Shenzhen Daily January 9, 2006)