The medical education level of the administrators of the local health committees in China

Zhao, F.; Yin, K.; Wang, Y.; Li, J.; Zhang, G.

The outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the recently emerged Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) poses a serious challenge for the healthcare system worldwide. We collected information, which were posted online as of February 25, 2020, on demographic characteristics of the directors of provincial and municipal Health Committee in Chinese mainland, and analyzed the education level and medical education background of the directors based on different geographic regions and per capita GDP. We found that the overall information disclosure rate is insufficient (63.39%). The mean age of the directors of provincial and municipal health committee was ~54 years. Among the 277 officials whose information is available, those in economically less-developed regions or remote areas had significantly poorer educational background. Regardless of economic status, the proportion of officials with a background of medical education in most regions was low. A significant amount of the directors of the provincial and municipal health committees in China lacks a background of medical education. This may hinder the efficiency of healthcare and public health administration, which obviously requires personnel with a background of medical training, especially considering the current outbreak of COVID-19.