Rebuild the trust

Conflicts between doctors and patients have again been in the media spotlight after two doctors were beaten up by family members of a patient who died in a hospital in Guangdong province and a man stabbed a doctor to death and wounded two others at a hospital in Zhejiang province. The high frequency of conflicts between doctors and patients or their family members means that the majority of doctors don't think it is a good career path for their children, says an article in Xi'an Evening News. Excerpts:

In recent years, whenever there is a report that doctors do not allow their children to follow in their footsteps, there always follows an in-depth analysis about the pros and cons of the medical system. This time the focus is on people's dissatisfaction with doctors.

It has become a consensus for employees in many industries to feel disgruntled and complain about their profession at present. The fundamental reason for this is occupational burnout produced by unrealized career expectations and over-work. But outsiders, due to their lack of knowledge about certain professions, are attracted because of the superficial glamour.

As an employee, one should avoid imagining that the grass looks greener on the other side. Only by standing in another's position and understanding the hardships they experience in their profession can people escape the mentality of being in a profession besieged.

Society should have a better understanding of the risks doctors face today, and the government should reform the medical system to resolve contradictions and help rebuild the trust between patients and doctors.

Protect students' eyesight

Only 17 percent of those taking the senior high school entrance exams passed their physical test, according to Beijing Education Examinations Authority. Poor vision was the main reason for the large number of failures. However, the vision of students from the suburbs was much better, says an article in Beijing Youth Daily. Excerpts:

The results of the students' physical examinations, apart from being surprising, deserve due attention in order to help prevent students ruining their eyesight.

First of all, children should be taught to protect their eyes by cultivating good reading and writing habits. However, the popularity of the television and the Internet mean teenagers spend a long time staring at their computer and cellphone screens. Hence, it requires frequent supervision from parents to help them foster eye-friendly habits.

The result should also prompt us to note the heavy homework burden of middle and primary school students. It is high time schools alleviated this burden on children so that they have more time to spend on activities that are conducive to their health. It is worth studying why students in suburban Beijing have better vision than their inner city counterparts.

Children need to know that a pair of glasses does not equal knowledge and they should cultivate habits to protect their vision. This will require efforts from all parties to come up with effective eye-care campaigns.

(China Daily 10/30/2013 page9)