Public medical resources too scarce for patients

A PATIENT ACCUSING Guang’anmen Hospital in Beijing and some scalpers of “conspiring to hike up the registration fee” has gone viral online. The hospital, which is affiliated to the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, denied her accusation, saying she had already been seen by a doctor. Beijing News on Wednesday urged stricter supervision of and fairer distribution of public medical resources:

Many may be surprised by the female patient’s desperate request for an appointment with a doctor, which can be done via authorized websites and smartphone applications. But the fact is, scalpers have entered not only hospitals, but also cyberspace, hoarding and selling appointments.

That the Internet- based booking system has failed to serve patients as intended has a lot to do with the scarcity of medical resources, which are part of the public welfare system in the country. But it is the longevity of the resources asymmetry that has left little room for technological innovations to ensure fair access to public services.

In other words, online registration platforms only make it theoretically easier for patients to get treated; they do not keep the insatiable scalpers at bay. The almost unanimous online support for the female patient has highlighted the many flaws in the way medical resources are allocated, as well as the bottom line that rent- seeking in any form must be taken seriously.

Of course, quality medical resources will remain scarce in the years to come, it is thus more than necessary to impose stricter supervision on their allocation, because all patients should be granted an equal opportunity to receive treatment.