Chapter 852

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Protagonist:

Fang Ziye

"Brother Zu, thank you for your trust, but you've come all the way from Jingdu to Han City to find me — it's really too much trouble. It's actually not necessary at all." After understanding Brother Zu's situation, Fang Ziye felt a bit helpless, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Brother Zu's situation is indeed quite complex — it's knee joint stiffness. If this were at a prefecture-level city hospital, even a general chief physician would find it extremely tricky to handle.

But Brother Zu was previously in Jingdu, where top orthopedic hospitals are piled up — Jishuitan, Jingdu Third Hospital — pick any place and it's done!

Brother Zu said: "I originally went to Jishuitan, but Professor Tang there said coming to find Professor Fang you would yield better functional recovery."

"Anyway, I'm old, my time isn't worth money, so let it be a hassle if it has to be…"

"Professor Fang, this one requires surgery, right?" Brother Zu didn't flaunt his identity, but communicated with Fang Ziye as an ordinary patient.

"Surgery is best; otherwise the joint stiffness will become more and more troublesome. A release and functional reconstruction are needed."

"Our department…"

"Brother Zu, how about this — I'll write you an admission certificate. You take it to the Ben Yuan area for hospitalization; that'll save a lot of procedures."

"When the time comes I'll go over there and operate on you. Here… it's temporarily really hard to free up a bed." Fang Ziye explained.

Brother Zu beamed: "Professor Fang, I understand."

"Fear not scarcity but inequality — I won't put you in a spot either. I'll book the admission myself, go through the normal procedure, no need for Professor Fang to worry about me."

Although Brother Zu isn't a clinical doctor, before retirement he worked in a medical-related field. Even though he was in leadership, he knows that right now Fang Ziye's place basically has spinal cord injury patients from all over the country 'flying' in!

Booked beds are probably months out. Fang Ziye could find a way to get him admitted, but it would definitely draw criticism.

If it were Fang Ziye's parents, grandparents — direct relatives — others wouldn't say much; everyone understands that kind of personal favor.

"Thanks for the trouble, Brother Zu."

"This surgery really isn't hard. You having it done in Jingdu would actually work too. Post-op care would also be more convenient." Fang Ziye still advised.

This surgery truly isn't hard — at least for Top Professors, the prognosis after surgery can be quite good.

Brother Zu is a transparent person. He shook his head: "Professor Fang, please don't persuade me further. I'm retired now; I don't buy your line of reasoning — for me personally."

"I still hope for a happier old age — able to take more walks, travel to more places and see more."

"Just making up for the hurried bustle of my youth… looking back this life, I realize I barely ever went out…"

Brother Zu having spoken to this point, Fang Ziye naturally stopped persuading: "Brother Zu, just take this admission certificate to the Trauma Surgery Ward at the Ben Yuan area."

"Say I referred you; they should arrange admission quickly."

The Ben Yuan area previously routinely performed mangled extremity limb salvage surgeries and functional reconstruction surgeries. Although they still have distinctive features, after several years of fermentation, professors at many hospitals have already mastered both procedures proficiently.

On top of that, Fang Ziye has officially announced he no longer does those two surgeries. The Health Commission has tightened surgical credentialing delegation. The Ben Yuan area still has many inpatients, but not as many as when Fang Ziye was still there.

Arranging one person for early admission won't attract attention.

Moreover, even if someone really noticed, who dares move against Brother Zu? Brother Zu used to be with the National Health Commission, and seemed to handle 'Discipline Inspection Commission', 'Inspection' work. Even retired, he still has his own old shift…

"Then thank you, Professor Fang. I won't stand on ceremony either — after all, I'm unfamiliar with Han City." Brother Zu thanked politely.

"Brother Zu, you're too polite."

"Just one thing I must apologize to Brother Zu in advance for: after your surgery, the hospital stay won't be very long. Next month I have two important academic conferences. By the time I return from meetings, you'll likely already be recovered and discharged."

"So post-op I may not get a chance to visit you… apologizing in advance…" Fang Ziye explained.

Brother Zu truly feels the grace of teaching toward Fang Ziye.

"Professor Fang, you mind your business. Just do my surgery well. Why would you visit an old man like me?"

"Your current research projects are far more important. I often hear people talk about Professor Fang's deeds. Many paralyzed patients sing your praises endlessly."

"Even those who haven't come to see you yet keep following Professor Fang. Among them are quite a few of my old friends."

"They all hope Professor Fang can develop more treatment plans and surgeries to benefit more people who want to live better but have nowhere to seek treatment." Brother Zu's tone was earnest and sincere.

Fang Ziye knows there are many paralyzed patients, and their conditions vary.

It's not only spinal cord injury that causes paralysis.

Severe rheumatoid arthritis, etc., can also cause paralysis. Many people are confined to wheelchairs.

Brother Zu, whether he knows Fang Ziye's current situation or not, added a prompt: "Professor Fang, actually you can be bolder now. As long as you don't stir up a large-scale 'public resentment' incident!"

"No one will specially make things difficult for you." Brother Zu's words carried implication.

Fang Ziye listened, first stunned, then recalled what Professor Li Yongjun had said at a meeting in Jingdu a few months ago. He immediately straightened: "Brother Zu, it wasn't you who recommended me for something, was it?"

"Doesn't count as a recommendation. I've been retired two years. Just mentioned you, Professor Fang, occasionally in chats."

"Eastern Han now faces another transformation. The people's physical health — even healthier bodies — will definitely be the next extremely important topic."

"Medical reform likewise: letting patients afford treatment, not fall into poverty from illness. That's just the foundation."

"More important is letting patients have a place to seek treatment for any disease — ideally every disease has someone to treat it… even transitioning from a medical powerhouse to a medical superpower…"

"The general direction is set like this, but the specific operations and those who can uphold these directions still rely on medical scholars, experts, and medical staff."

Brother Zu isn't familiar with specifics, but on grand themes he still has deep insights.

"Actually as early as over a decade ago — that is, the early '90s — our country's medical level had become a medical powerhouse. Doctors in our hospitals, in operational level, theoretical level, etc., are not inferior to any country."

"But so-called 'great national instruments' — our medical device R&D, drug R&D, etc., are indeed constrained by others."

"This is very similar to decades ago: our country's scientists were smarter than any other country's scientists, but we were poor, we had no foundation, we didn't even have computers — that's why we were constrained everywhere…"

"Including now it's the same. We want medical reform to make treatment cheaper for ordinary people."

"But that's not foreign pharma's 'obligation', so we can only rely on ourselves. We must maintain innovation everywhere…"

"Including but not limited to generic drugs, old drugs for new uses — those most basic levels — there must also be a batch of people leading their teams, advancing toward new treatment fields, new disease types for R&D."

"After all, for existing disease types, even if treatment costs a bit more, patients ultimately have a place to seek treatment. At worst it's just unaffordable."

"Some illnesses have nowhere to be treated — that is true despair."

"This is also the main direction of medical competition in the whole world..." Brother Zu said.

Fang Ziye thought, has Brother Zu come to have me treat his illness, or to give me guidance?

Or perhaps, under the pretext of seeking a consultation, to bring some words?