Status Quo and Equity Analysis of Human Resources for Health in China: Based on Five-year Data
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze the equity of China's health human resources allocation and provide suggestions for optimizing the allocation of health human resources.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper obtains the data of regional health professionals, practicing (assistant) physicians and registered nurses from the 2016-2020 China Health Statistics Yearbook, draws the Lorentz curve from the perspective of population and geographic area distribution, and calculates the Gini coefficient.
Results
In the past five years, the Lorentz curves of the three types of health human resources according to population distribution were all close to the line of equality, and the Gini coefficient was less than 0.1; the Lorentz curves of the three types of health human resources according to geographic area were all far away from the line of equality, and the Gini coefficient was greater than 0.5; the Gini coefficient of practicing (assistant) physicians in the eastern region reached 0.53 in 2019; the Gini coefficient of the central and western regions exceeded 0.4 every year; the Gini coefficient of health professionals and registered nurses in the western region exceeded 0.6 in 2019, which is at a dangerous level of high inequality.
Conclusion
The equity of population allocation of health human resources in China is better than that of geographical area allocation. There is inter-provincial unfairness nationally and intensified inequality within the east. When the government allocates health human resources, it should take into account demographic factors and regional characteristics, strengthen the role of macro-control, and allow citizens to enjoy health services on an equal footing.
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