- Medizin
- Reportage
China
Radiology in China may not be what you expect. Photos from radiology departments in five very different Chinese cities tell their own story. Please come and take a closer look!
China is all about growth: The country’s economy grew by 6.9 % in 2017. The world’s second-largest economy has cemented its status as the world’s largest manufacturer. In 2015, China became the first nation with a GDP above 20 trillion USD. China’s population is still the largest in the world, with 1.41 billion in 2017. With this growth in the finance and production sectors comes an increased need for and access to medicine.
What does it feel like to be a healthcare professional in a country chasing its own records, ever growing, never sleeping? Well, radiology professionals in China don’t get a lot of sleep either. They face high expectations on a day-to-day basis: Their workload in large urban hospitals is huge, patient throughput is extremely high, reporting just has to be efficient. Until Artificial Intelligence or other supporting tools or structures are set up, the daily grind is bound to stay.
Because Chinese healthcare professionals work hard just to cope with the sheer amount of patients, there is virtually no time for research. Yet, some leading hospitals are in the process of setting up research structures. The government is also starting to spend money to support certain research hotspots.
Rural areas face yet another challenge: The nearest hospital might be far away and for some almost unreachable. In addition, some patients have come to mistrust their community hospitals. The new governmental concept of Medical Unions is about to shift expertise back to the smaller hospitals. Patients will hopefully follow.
No matter where, radiologists in centers all over China are ambitious. They adapt their structures to their surroundings – meaning digital platforms to better manage patient workflow are omnipresent – and they are proud of their daily work. Some say the international community does not yet appreciate their work to the fullest, but they feel recognition is on the increase.