Healing Doctor

Chapter 302 Making do

"Don't overthink this kind of thing; you won't understand it anyway. Our healthcare system is a Frankenstein's monster; we want to learn from the US but we're too ashamed to adopt a socialized approach," Meng Qingfei said. "If we were to implement universal healthcare and free medical care, we'd be back to the old ways of 30 or 40 years ago. Our technological level is inherently low, which is very frustrating."

"This is so difficult!" Ji Xiang was completely bewildered.

"It's alright. As long as I don't think about it, I can just focus on doing my job well," Meng Qingfei said. "During major surgeries, the surgeon's fee is 39 yuan per hour, and that's after the price increase."

"It's less than 40 yuan an hour. Who would be interested in such a small surgery fee, right?"

"Too."

"Your department's head resident only gets 20 yuan a night shift allowance. You have to order food while on duty, so you lose money every shift. A friend of mine quit his job and went to Shanghai to work at an American-owned hospital."

As he spoke, Meng Qingfei's eyes revealed envy.

Ji Xiang rarely saw Meng Qingfei express his feelings so directly, especially the envy in his eyes, which was completely genuine and overflowing.

"The year before last, he worked the Lunar New Year's Eve shift. Guess how much he was paid for that?"

"Five thousand," Ji Xiang said.

"Fifty thousand!" Meng Qingfei said, raising his voice.

"..."

"As for how skilled he is, I just don't believe it. It's mainly about the platform, the platform. Our Second Affiliated Hospital is considered good, but if you go to the grassroots level, you'll see it's even worse," Meng Qingfei said.

Ji Xiang agreed with this statement.

Meng Qingfei glanced at the elderly man eating the pomelo and immediately knew what was going on. He quickly called the patient's family.

These experienced doctors are struggling on the front lines, barely making ends meet and barely managing to maintain a simple life. Meng Qingfei even admitted that he has to rely on other jobs to make ends meet.

"Teacher Meng, can't we set the price a little higher?" Ji Xiang asked.

"The lower the price, the better it protects the interests of patients and reflects the public welfare nature of the hospital," Meng Qingfei said with a smile. "We are a public hospital, and the pricing is determined by the price control department, the health administration department, and the human resources and social security department."

In other words, a group of laymen are setting the prices, and you can't do anything about it.

Ji Xiang was speechless. He always felt that this kind of system could not last, but it was the industry he was in, and it had stood firm for so many years.

"I've looked into the specifics, and frankly, it's all about government funding. But in recent years, funding has been being cut, so we're just maintaining what we have and not thinking too much about it," Meng Qingfei said. "Medical insurance is also running out of funds, and these are similar to blood banks, so don't be surprised if you see anything strange."

"Local governments with good finances have higher doctors' salaries and more advanced medical care. Our place is doomed sooner or later. What can we do if we don't have money to invest in healthcare, right?"

"It's like boiling a frog in lukewarm water right now. It's not just the medical industry; other industries are the same. I won't be able to see it, but you should prepare in advance."

As he spoke, he clicked his tongue in amazement, "Director Bai is a real talent. He managed to push things forward in a dead end without offending anyone. Let me tell you, without Director Bai, Professor Deng from the orthopedics department would definitely have been in trouble."

"Ring ring ring~~~"

The phone at the nurses' station rang, its sound so clear in the cold, quiet night.

Ji Xiang clearly saw Meng Qingfei's body shudder, and the flesh on his face trembled a few times, clearly startled.

Ji Xiang could even hear the thumping sound of supraventricular tachycardia coming from Meng Qingfei's chest.

The phone ringing in the middle of the night during the emergency room night shift really caused Meng Qingfei immense psychological distress.

Meng Qingfei didn't move, but Ji Xiang saw his ears twitch twice, standing up 2-3 millimeters like antennas, listening to the nurse on the phone.

"Brother Meng! An ambulance from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital has brought in a patient; they suspect acute myocarditis."

Upon hearing the diagnosis, Meng Qingfei did not become nervous; instead, he relaxed.

"Teacher Meng, acute myocarditis is a very serious illness."

"Sigh, whether it's serious or not, everyone has to be admitted to the hospital, it's none of our business. What I fear most is a major car accident, which requires emergency treatment, and then you won't be able to sleep at all, and the person on duty will look ten years older."

Besides, acute myocarditis is an internal medicine condition. The on-duty internist can take a nap, and I'll handle it for her. If it gets too complicated, she can be woken up; it's none of our business.

As he spoke, he touched his chin.

"The kind of shift where you work in the emergency room after a major car accident, your beard grows an inch."

That's what he said, but Ji Xiang noticed that Meng Qingfei didn't call the cardiac surgery or cardiology departments to call the chief resident down. Instead, he got up and "greeted" the patient in the corridor.

"Professor Meng, why don't you go see the chief resident?" Ji Xiang asked.

"Doctors in lower-level hospitals are unreliable," Meng Qingfei said rather "arbitrarily." "I have to see for myself."

"Unreliable?"

"About a year ago, a similar situation occurred. A patient was referred from a lower-level hospital, diagnosed with tension pneumothorax. It was a very urgent case. The patient's condition was not good when he arrived. I was just about to listen to his heart and lungs when the doctor from the lower-level hospital handed me a 50ml syringe to perform the puncture."

"And then?"

"Later? I retorted directly, 'If you're so clear-cut, why didn't you just insert the syringe yourself in the ambulance?'" Meng Qingfei said disdainfully.

"Hahaha." Ji Xiang laughed. His words were so direct, they had the air of a senior doctor.

"Actually, the patient vomited and aspirated after drinking too much. I performed a Heimlich maneuver, and he was fine immediately." Meng Qingfei looked at the end of the corridor and said leisurely, "If we followed the advice of doctors from lower-level hospitals, it would have been an open pneumothorax immediately, definitely a medical accident."

"They're ripping me off; they don't know their own limitations, yet they're pushing me to do it."

Just then, the siren of an ambulance came from inside.

Ji Xiang noticed out of the corner of his eye that although Meng Qingfei hadn't moved, his entire demeanor had changed, becoming solemn and dignified, with a faint air of solemnity emanating from him, like a general reviewing his troops on an autumn battlefield.

The patient was wheeled in on a stretcher, accompanied by doctors and nurses carrying first-aid kits.

"What happened?" Meng Qingfei asked.

"The patient caught a cold two weeks ago, which hasn't gotten better. This afternoon, he suddenly experienced severe chest pain, which suggests acute myocarditis!" the 120 emergency doctor said hurriedly.

The medical history report was quite good; it focused on the key points and wasn't verbose at all.

Unfortunately, Meng Qingfei did not believe it.

He immediately had an electrocardiogram (ECG) done. Looking at the warm paper coming out of the ECG machine, Meng Qingfei glanced at the 120 doctor.

"Let's go back."

"Are you alright?" The paramedic was taken aback.

"Of course," Meng Qingfei said. "His heart rate is slightly fast, 112 beats per minute, but it's sinus rhythm. The ECG changes in acute myocarditis generally include various arrhythmias, conduction block, nonspecific ST segment elevation, T wave inversion, and QT interval prolongation."

"You have none of the indicators for acute myocarditis, so how did you diagnose it?"

(End of this chapter)