Qi Jing, Huang Dongyu, Chen Yiping, Huang Dingkai, Jiang Zhijian
Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
School of Economics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
PLoS One. 2025 Jul 22;20(7):e0328044. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0328044. eCollection 2025.
Amid a series of sudden public health crises that have erupted since the beginning of the 21st century, healthcare professionals in China have consistently been recognized as frontline heroes. This study, based on unique data from a major hospital in China, focuses on doctors who volunteered during the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, China. We examine the changes in remuneration and career trajectories of these volunteers upon their return to regular duties. Our findings reveal that these "heroes" received higher remuneration upon reintegration into their original workplaces, reflecting recognition for their sacrifices. Mechanism tests demonstrate that volunteer doctors are more likely to engage in roles requiring advanced technical expertise and receive priority in promotion processes upon returning. Moreover, we observe that male, highly educated, and experienced volunteer doctors receive greater remuneration, indicating the need for fairness in reward mechanisms. By elucidating the mechanisms and actual effects of career rewards for volunteer doctors, this study provides feasible suggestions and theoretical support for policymaking in future public health emergencies.
在21世纪初爆发的一系列突发公共卫生危机中，中国的医护人员一直被视为一线英雄。这项研究基于中国一家大型医院的独特数据，聚焦于在中国武汉新冠疫情爆发期间自愿参与抗疫的医生。我们考察了这些志愿者回归日常工作岗位后的薪酬变化和职业轨迹。我们的研究结果显示，这些“英雄”在重新回到原工作岗位后获得了更高的薪酬，这体现了对他们所做牺牲的认可。机制检验表明，志愿医生更有可能从事需要先进技术专长的岗位，并且在回归后在晋升过程中获得优先权。此外，我们观察到男性、高学历和经验丰富的志愿医生获得了更高的薪酬，这表明奖励机制需要公平性。通过阐明志愿医生职业奖励的机制和实际效果，本研究为未来公共卫生突发事件的政策制定提供了可行的建议和理论支持。
