In September 2004, three doctors from the paediatrics department of Ningguo People's Hospital jumped ship to take up jobs at the soon-to-open private Huatai Hospital. 　　The remaining seven doctors managed 41 inpatients, in addition to outpatient work. 　　After the opening of Huatai Hospital, the number of inpatients in the paediatrics department of Ningguo People's Hospital gradually decreased. As the hospital implemented a variable salary, linking wages to departmental income, the hospital only paid half of the basic salary, and the money the doctors earned was theirs only after paying departmental expenses. The decrease in patients directly threatens everyone's income. Faced with fierce competition, a poor practice environment and incompetent and ineffective management, people in the paediatrics department were on edge, but no one wanted to leave, and under the leadership of the head of the department, an exhausting battle without a winner began.