Beijing: Doctors and nurses in China are facing pay cuts or salary delays despite working hard to deal with the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases in recent months.

Dr. Zhou, a surgeon at a hospital in a large southern city, said he has not been paid for three months following the recent influx of Covid-19 patients, reports South China Morning Post.

“The last payment we received was much less than usual,” said Zhou, who wished to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of talking to the media as quoted by the newspaper.

His salary was cut by nearly 4,000 yuan (US$590) in September.

“The hospital has also cancelled our quarterly and year-end awards in 2022, and medical staff morale is now very low,” the doctor, who has worked long hours to treat infections, told the newspaper.

COVID-19 witnessed a surge in China after it ended its Zero COVID policy.