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Chinese city’s health system buckles under Covid debt strain
- Huludao authorities say they cannot increase funding to hospitals because of blow to city finances
- Staff elsewhere report big drops in income as non-emergency surgery put on hold
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A city in northeastern China has highlighted the strain of Covid-19 measures on local health systems, with authorities saying debts were rising far faster than their capacity to repay them.
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In a statement released last week, the health commission of Huludao, Liaoning province, said the debts were mainly the result of the pandemic, with higher costs for preventive equipment and lower income from the government.
“The Covid-19 outbreaks in the city this year in particular had a huge impact on the normal operations of public hospitals, resulting in sharp rise in debt levels,” the commission said.
The commission was responding to proposals to improve post-pandemic hospital funding submitted by neurosurgeon and Huludao consultative conference member Yi Tongjun.
The health authority said it was not in a position to increase funding because the city’s finances were strained as well.
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It said the government had spent huge sums dealing with Covid-19 outbreaks in the city, including building treatment facilities and improving coronavirus testing. At the same time, the city’s revenue had taken a major hit.
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