Chapter 302: Making Do

"Don't overthink these things; you won't figure them out anyway. Our medical system is a Frankenstein's monster. If we wanted to copy the United States, we wouldn't have the stomach to play social Darwinism," Meng Qingfei said. "If we went back to universal healthcare and free medical services like thirty or forty years ago, the technical level would be inherently low, which is also a headache."

"It's that difficult?" Ji Xiang was bewildered by what he heard.

"It's alright, as long as you don't think about it and just do the work at hand," Meng Qingfei said. "During major surgeries, the surgeon's labor fee is 39 yuan per hour; and that's after the price increase."

"Less than 40 yuan an hour—nobody is doing this for the surgery fee, right?"

"That's true."

"The Resident Chief in your department gets a 20-yuan night shift allowance. You have to order food while on duty, so every shift is a net loss. A buddy of mine quit and went to Shanghai to work at a US-funded hospital."

As he spoke, a look of envy appeared in Meng Qingfei's eyes.

Ji Xiang rarely saw Meng Qingfei express his inner thoughts so bluntly, especially the look of envy in his eyes, which was completely genuine and overflowing.

"During the New Year before last, he worked a shift on New Year's Eve. Guess how much the night shift allowance was?"

"Five thousand," Ji Xiang said.

"Fifty thousand!" Meng Qingfei raised his voice.

"..."

"As for whether his skill level is really that high, I find that hard to believe. It's mainly the platform, the platform. Our Second Affiliated Hospital is still considered decent; if you look at the grassroots level, it's even worse," Meng Qingfei said.

Ji Xiang agreed with this.

Meng Qingfei glanced at the elderly person eating pomelo, roughly gauged the situation, and hurried to call the Patient's Family Member.

Such an experienced Doctor was languishing on the front lines, unable to earn money and barely able to maintain a simple life. Meng Qingfei even admitted that he had to rely on other odd jobs to make ends meet.

"Meng Laoshi, can't the price be set a bit higher?" Ji Xiang asked.

"The lower the price is set, the more it protects the interests of the Patient and the more it reflects the public welfare nature of the hospital," Meng Qingfei smiled. "We are a public hospital; the ones who set the prices are the price authorities, health administration, human resources, and social security departments."

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

Ji Xiang was speechless. He always felt that this system could not last, yet it was the very industry he was engaged in, and after so many years, it still stood firm.

"I've actually studied it specifically; to put it bluntly, it's just state investment. But in recent years, investment has been continuously cut, so we just maintain things as they are and don't think too much about it," Meng Qingfei said. "Medical insurance is also running dry; these are all similar to blood banks, so don't be surprised if you see anything strange."

"Where local finances are good, doctors' incomes are high, and the level of medical care is more developed. Around here, it's a dead end sooner or later. If there's no money to invest in medical care, what can you do, right?"

"Right now, it's like a frog in warm water, and it's not just the medical industry; other industries are the same. I won't be around to see it, but you should prepare early."

As he spoke, he clicked his tongue in wonder. "Bai Chuzhang is truly a talent, damn it. In a dead-end situation, Bai Chuzhang offends no one and pushes things forward in a balanced and moderate way. Let me tell you, if it weren't for Bai Chuzhang, Professor Deng from the Orthopedics Department would definitely have been the scapegoat."

"Ring-ring-ring~~~"

The telephone at the Nurses' Station rang, sounding so clear in the cold, lonely night.

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

Ji Xiang could even hear the *thump-thump-thump* of supraventricular tachycardia coming from Meng Qingfei's chest.

The sound of the emergency night shift phone ringing in the middle of the night really caused Meng Qingfei infinite psychological trauma.

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

"Brother Meng! The Zhong Yiyuan 120 sent a Patient, saying they suspect acute myocarditis."

Upon hearing the diagnosis, Meng Qingfei didn't get nervous; instead, he relaxed.

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

"Pah, serious or not, they have to be admitted, it has nothing to do with us. What I fear most is a major car accident; that requires a round of emergency treatment, and you can forget about sleeping. Working one shift makes you ten years older."

"Besides, acute myocarditis is an Internal Medicine Department illness. The Internal Medicine Doctor on duty can take a nap, and I'll just help her handle it. If it's really troublesome, I can wake her up; it has nothing to do with us."

As he spoke, he rubbed his chin.

"On shifts where we encounter major emergency car accidents, my beard grows an inch."

That was what he said, but Ji Xiang noticed that Meng Qingfei didn't call the Cardiac Surgery or Circulatory Internal Medicine Department to have the Resident Chief come down, but instead got up to "welcome" the Patient in the corridor.

"Meng Laoshi, why not call the Resident Chief?" Ji Xiang asked.

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

"Unreliable?"

"About a year ago, it was a similar situation. A lower-level hospital transferred a Patient, saying it was Tension Pneumothorax, all hurried and flustered. When the Patient was sent over, their condition was average. Just as I was about to auscultate, the doctor from the lower-level hospital handed me a 50ml Syringe and asked me to perform a puncture."

"And then?"

"And then? I retorted directly: if you were so sure, why didn't you stick the Syringe in yourself while in the 120 Emergency Vehicle?" Meng Qingfei said with disdain.

"Hahaha." Ji Xiang laughed. This was said so directly; it had that "senior doctor" vibe.

"Actually, the Patient had vomited and aspirated after drinking too much. I performed a Heimlich maneuver, and they were fine immediately," Meng Qingfei looked at the end of the corridor and said leisurely. "If I had followed the lower-level doctor's diagnosis, it would have been an immediate open Pneumothorax—a textbook case of Medical Malpractice."

"They were trying to screw me over; they had no clue themselves and were egging me on to do it."

Just as he was speaking, the siren of an 120 Emergency Vehicle could be heard.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ji Xiang saw that although Meng Qingfei hadn't moved, his entire temperament had changed—solemn and grave, with a faint air of a battlefield commander inspecting troops in autumn.

The stretcher pushed the Patient in, followed by a Doctor and a Nurse carrying an Emergency Kit.

"What happened?" Meng Qingfei asked.

"The Patient had a cold two weeks ago that never went away. This afternoon, they suddenly had severe chest pain. We suspect acute myocarditis!" the 120 Emergency Doctor said hurriedly.

The medical history report was actually quite good; they picked out the key points and weren't wordy at all.

But unfortunately, Meng Qingfei didn't believe it.

He immediately pulled an Electrocardiogram, and looking at the warm paper spitting out of the Electrocardiogram machine, Meng Qingfei glanced at the 120 Doctor.

"Go back."

"It's nothing?" the 120 Doctor was stunned.

"Of course," Meng Qingfei said. "The heart rate is slightly fast, 112 beats per minute, but it's sinus rhythm. The Electrocardiogram changes for acute myocarditis generally include various Arrhythmia, conduction blocks, non-specific ST-segment elevation, T-wave inversion, and QT interval prolongation."

"None of the indicators for acute myocarditis are present. How did you diagnose it?"

(End of chapter)