The power relationships between doctors, patients and the party-state under the impact of red packets in the Chinese health-care system

摘要

The paper examines “red packets” – a form of informal payment – in the Chinese health-care system from the perspectives of power and ‘inxit’ theories. Drawing on qualitative data collected from focus groups, interviews and documentary sources, the research investigates, from doctors’ perspective, the giving, taking, declining and disciplining of and solutions for red packets. Findings testify to four hypotheses developed from the theoretical perspectives, leading to the conclusion that red packets emerged from and can exert an influence on the power relationships between doctors, the Party-state and patients, and are a response to distrust and quality shortage in the health-care system.