New York [US], September 28 : Hospital workers in several parts of China are reportedly facing salary and performance-bonus cuts as public medical institutions deal with growing financial pressures. According to The Epoch Times, some medical workers have reported monthly base salaries of below 2,000 yuan, while certain hospitals have allegedly delayed wage payments for months.
The Epoch Times reported that people familiar with the situation spoke anonymously due to concerns about possible retaliation. In Hangzhou, a public hospital employee surnamed Qian told the publication that nurses at a local hospital saw their monthly base salaries reduced from 2,750 yuan to 2,200 yuan in August, a 20 per cent cut.
In Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, a resident surnamed Liu told The Epoch Times that a family member working as a nurse had seen their monthly base salary decline from around 3,700 yuan before the COVID-19 pandemic to approximately 1,700 yuan. The hospital has also reportedly stopped paying bonuses.
According to The Epoch Times, medical workers at Suihua People’s Hospital in Heilongjiang Province protested in November 2025 over unpaid wages. An employee answering the hospital’s emergency department reportedly said workers had gone five or six months without receiving salaries. The workers continued working while seeking payment of wages and social security contributions.
The Epoch Times also reported that videos circulated online in April showing medical workers at Hedong Hospital in Linyi, Shandong Province, demanding unpaid wages. The publication has previously reported that a public hospital in Beijing required employees to return six months of performance bonuses that had already been paid.
Financial problems have reportedly affected hospitals elsewhere. According to the reports, Tianhu Hospital in Leping, Jiangxi Province, faced financial difficulties after changes to health insurance policies, eventually owing employees wages before dismissing its workforce. In 2024, Luxinan Hospital in Shandong entered bankruptcy liquidation proceedings after reportedly owing more than 600 employees eight months of wages.
A health department official in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, surnamed Sun, told The Epoch Times that hospitals receiving partial government funding could face larger financial gaps when allocations decline. Sun said hospitals may try to compensate by increasing charges, but reduced patient visits can further weaken revenues. He also said some Jiangsu hospitals faced complaints over fees and saw revenues decline after authorities required them to restore earlier fee schedules.