City short of family doctors

The Shanghai family doctor system has a shortage of about 5,000 physicians, said an official from the Shanghai health authority. The city has piloted the family doctor system in 10 districts since 2011. About 2,280 family doctors currently serve 1.61 million families, about 36.5 percent of the city's total. Officials said they are exploring effective ways to attract more qualified family doctors.

Courts tackle wage withholders

Shanghai courts dealt with 3,693 civil cases that involved withholding wages in December, Shanghai People's Higher Court said on Thursday. The cases involved a total value of 305 million yuan ($49 million), the court said. Gu Weiqiang, deputy head of Shanghai People's Higher Court, said courts in Shanghai will strive to enforce the laws that give security to people's livelihoods in 2013.

Beijing

Baby survives heart operation

An 8-month-old patient from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region with complicated congenital heart disease is recovering after surgery at a hospital in Beijing on Tuesday. Doctors at Huaxin Hospital operated for 10 hours on the infant, who had eight kinds of cardiac deformities, including a double outlet right ventricle. Several local hospitals had declined to treat the baby due to the complexity of the condition.

Railways reject calls to drop price

The Ministry of Railways said it cannot slash the price of "no-seat" train tickets because of the huge costs it shoulders during the Spring Festival travel peak, Beijing News reported on Thursday. A spokesman from the ministry said the "no-seat" train tickets are sold to meet the demands of passengers who cannot secure seats on trains during the Spring Festival holiday, a traditional holiday for family reunions.

Tourists to hit record high

The number of tourists traveling during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday is expected to hit a record high of 211 million, tourism authorities said on Thursday. The number of holiday tourists is expected to rise by 20 percent compared with the previous year, surpassing 200 million for the first time, the China National Tourism Administration said. Increased consumer confidence, the removal of tolls on some highways and lower ticket prices have made more people willing to travel this year, the administration said.

Marine surveillance to strengthen ties

Chinese maritime authorities are looking to strengthen cooperation and communication with foreign counterparts, a senior maritime official said on Thursday, including arranging more visits to foreign countries by its surveillance vessels. "Haixun 01, the largest ship in our patrol fleet, will visit Canada and Australia this year, and our ships will also visit nations in southeast Asia," said Chen Aiping, deputy director of the China Maritime Safety Administration under the Ministry of Transport.

Capital faces teacher shortage

More children in Beijing will reach school age next year, creating a shortage of primary school teachers in the capital, according to a report in Beijing News. The report said 180,000 children will be in primary schools in 2014, up from 110,000 in 2012. Chen Aiyu, head of Beijing No 171 Middle School, said all schools are expanding to prepare for the increase, but the training of teachers has not kept pace with the expansion.

Sichuan

Chengdu charity chief removed

A Chengdu charity chief has been removed from her post after her husband was accused of corruption. Qu Songzhi had not shown up to work as Party secretary of the city's Red Cross Society since December and has now been replaced, Beijing News reported on Thursday. Li Chuncheng, Qu's husband, was dismissed as deputy secretary of the Party's Sichuan Provincial Committee last month. He is accused of "serious discipline violations".

Zhejiang

Office apologizes for road closures

The information office of a city government in Zhejiang province on Thursday responded to public criticism over a road closure during the local annual legislative sessions. The office said the Public Security Bureau of Wenzhou will accept public criticism and supervision, after the bureau closed Xiushan Street for the sessions held from Jan 18 to 22.

Jiangxi

Teacher suspended for bad punishment

A middle school teacher in Jiangxi province was suspended from work after a photo showed him punishing students by forcing them to kneel on the ground, China News Service reported on Thursday. In the photo uploaded by an anonymous netizen on Wednesday, a man is standing in front of a class of 40-odd students who were kneeling down in the playground of the Fenkeng Middle School in Yudu county.

Henan

Retired sex scandal official detained

A retired official in Henan province, who is at the center of a sex scandal, has been placed under criminal detention, local authorities said on Thursday. Zhang Minqiang, 61, former director of the Bureau for Letters and Calls in Shangqiu, is accused of duty-related crimes, the city's publicity department said.

China Daily-Xinhua