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    China's introduction of the two-child policy has caused worry that the change will further make the shortage of pediatricians (儿科医生) worse.

    The number of pediatricians in China dropped from 105,000 to around 100,000 within five years, according to China's public health statistical (统计的) yearbook in 2015. On average, there are only 43 doctors per 100,000 children.

    Wang Baoxi, a pediatrician with the Shaanxi branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, told Xinhua that situation was even worse in smaller cities and counties. In Weinan City, which is about 70 kilometers away from Shaanxi's capital Xi’an, they only had 17 doctors to care for 100,000 children.

    The Lingnan branch of No.3 Hospital Affiliated (附属的) with Sun Yat-sen University posted a notice telling people emergency treatment services in the pediatric department were canceled due to lack of doctors. "Since the department was finished in 2011, we have employed eight doctors. Four left in the following years,” said Shan Yutao, who works in the hospital's medical management office.

    The shortage of pediatricians has made it difficult for parents. Low salary, high pressure and high risk are the main causes behind people's reluctance (不情愿) to become pediatricians.

According to the National Health and Family Planning Commission, 90 million Chinese women are allowed to have a second child under the two-child policy, which took effect on Jan. 1, 2016.

An Haiyan, an official with the Shaanxi provincial health and family planning commission, suggested that more attention be paid to pediatric departments in hospitals, and pediatricians be given subsidy (补贴) for their work.