After Du Heng finished speaking, Wu Buwei seemed to only half understand, a mixture of clarity and confusion in his eyes.
Du Heng chuckled. "The key question of whether Chinese and Western medicine can be combined is actually simple: does the doctor clearly understand the properties of the medicines? Let me ask you, what can Aminophylline treat, and what are its side effects?"
Wu Buwei was stumped. As an undergraduate student of Chinese Medicine, all his subjects were related to it, and he hadn't fully grasped them yet. Aminophylline clearly sounded like a Western medicine, something he had never encountered. How could he possibly know without looking it up on the spot?
Du Heng completely understood Wu Buwei's inability to answer; he had gone through the same phase. If not for the Reward for Hard Work System, he wouldn't be much better off than Wu Buwei.
"You see, you don't know the properties of this medicine. Similarly, I just wrote a prescription for Fan Yuxiang with many Traditional Chinese Medicine ingredients. If you ask a Western medicine doctor, they wouldn't know why those herbs are combined that way either."
Wu Buwei nodded in understanding, then suddenly asked, "Senior Brother, how do doctors who practice the integration of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine treat patients?"
Du Heng was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected question. After a pause, he said, "I haven't had contact with such doctors, so I'm not entirely sure. However, I imagine they must choose one approach as their primary focus, with the other serving as a supplement, or perhaps they abandon one entirely. Most likely, Western medicine is primary, and traditional Chinese medicine is supplementary."
"Why is that?"
"I have two guesses. First, Western medicine is simpler to get started with than traditional Chinese medicine. With the aid of machines, treatment can be standardized and follow set procedures, which isn't the case for traditional Chinese medicine.
Second, traditional Chinese medicine isn't as profitable. Western medicine, excluding drug costs, can bring in three to four hundred yuan from just a basic set of examinations. In contrast, traditional Chinese medicine, from start to finish, might only cost a few tens to a couple of hundred yuan at most, provided no expensive medicinal ingredients are used."
Doctors are people too; they also need to support their families. Which path do you think they'll choose? Take you, for example. Even though you haven't secured a formal authorized job yet, you're already earning a salary. Go ask your classmates at the Big Hospitals if they're still struggling with standardized training fees and internship costs. Under such circumstances, given there's a simpler method that also makes money, why would they choose to abandon it?"
There weren't many patients in the Health Clinic, so their conversation flowed undisturbed. As they talked, Du Heng began to mentor Wu Buwei. The young man had already registered for this year's licensing exam, with only a few months left to review.
One found the thrill of being a teacher, while the other cherished the opportunity to learn. Both were deeply engrossed, oblivious to a woman with sharp, upturned eyes and prominent cheekbones, holding a sheet of paper, who had appeared at their office door.
The woman had an imposing air, her eyes blazing fiercely. Seeing that the two in the office paid her no mind, she strode to their desk and slammed the paper in her hand down in front of them.
BANG!
The sudden sound startled Du Heng, who had been absorbed in teaching. When he recognized the newcomer as Zhang Jinlian—the doctor notorious for snatching patients she couldn't even cure—he felt a surge of discomfort but kept it hidden. "Dr. Zhang, is something wrong?"
"Du Heng, what is the meaning of this? My patient! Are you qualified to transfer him?" Zhang Jinlian was aggressive, posturing as if to call him to account.
Du Heng knew that when he suggested Fan Yuxiang's transfer, Zhang Jinlian would definitely come for him.
The Health Clinic had few patients, which meant almost no bonuses. Consequently, this woman would snatch every patient who came in, regardless of whether she could treat them, all for the five-yuan registration fee. When prescribing medicine, she was shameless, always opting for the most expensive drugs and those not covered by medical insurance.
Previously, Du Heng, aware of his average skills and unwilling to squabble like a shrew over a paltry sum, had always chosen to endure.
But today's situation was different. If Fan Yuxiang wasn't transferred and the delay continued, the patient would be the one to suffer.
"You're talking about Fan Yuxiang, right? I was the one who suggested his transfer. Is there a problem?"
"My patient! What right do you have to transfer him?"
Du Heng gave a slightly sarcastic smile. "No right? When Fan Yuxiang was experiencing difficulty breathing at 11:30 this morning and needed emergency treatment, what were you, his attending doctor, doing?"
Zhang Jinlian hadn't expected Du Heng, who had always been a pushover, to dare confront her so openly today. She was momentarily stunned, stammering, "I... I had to step out for something. Is that a problem?"
"Fine. But the problem is, your mobile phone was off, and no one could find you. Nobody knew where you'd gone. Do you still think that's fine? If I tell Fan Yuxiang about this, what do you think will happen?"
Zhang Jinlian's face darkened.
If someone were to point this out to Fan Yuxiang, she'd probably cry her eyes out in the toilet.
However, Zhang Jinlian remained stubborn, harping on the fact that Du Heng wasn't Fan Yuxiang's attending doctor. "...You're not Fan Yuxiang's attending doctor! What authority do you have to have him transferred?"
"First, I didn't *have* Fan Yuxiang transferred; I *suggested* he transfer. Suggestion. Surely you understand the meaning of that? Second, you've been treating him for six days and still haven't figured out what's wrong with him. On what grounds are you preventing him from transferring?"
Zhang Jinlian was unreasonable in every aspect, yet always wanted the upper hand. She had run rampant in the Health Clinic for many years. To be put in such an awkward position by a young man like Du Heng, losing face like this, made her so furious she felt she would explode.
"You meddle with my patient, and you think you're in the right? This isn't over! I'm going to find Song to get his judgment!"
Song, Song Shicun, was the head of the Medical Affairs Department at the Health Clinic. He was a good-natured man thoroughly intimidated by the shrewish Zhang Jinlian.
Zhang Jinlian felt helpless against Du Heng, but she had her ways of dealing with Song. Getting Song to reprimand Du Heng and make him apologize would achieve the same result for her.
After spitting out her harsh words, Zhang Jinlian turned to leave. But unexpectedly, a tall figure suddenly appeared at the door, blocking her path. "Why are you looking for Song? If there's something wrong, tell me too."
The tall figure ambled into the office, followed by a man with a twisted face.
Zhang Jinlian retreated a step, looked at the tall man before her, and began to wail like a wronged woman, "Director Li, you be the judge..."
After she babbled on for a good while, Li Qingde frowned slightly. He knew very well what kind of person Zhang Jinlian was and couldn't possibly believe her one-sided account. His gaze shifted to Du Heng, wanting to hear his side of the story.
Left with no alternative, Du Heng recounted the entire incident and then retrieved the emergency case record written by Wu Buwei.
Li Qingde skimmed through it. As expected, he thought, this woman never tells the truth.
Previously, he had also been powerless against Zhang Jinlian. The Health Clinic itself had few truly capable doctors, so Zhang Jinlian couldn't be easily touched. Furthermore, she held a formal authorized job; unless a major, severe medical accident occurred, Li Qingde couldn't do anything to her.
The most infuriating thing was that this woman was utterly unreasonable and shameless. If her salary were docked as punishment, she'd dare to show up at his home with her bedding and demand to share his bed.
Today's incident could be minor, or it could be major.
If someone reported this, or if the patient themselves complained to the higher-ups, Zhang Jinlian would be in serious trouble. While it wouldn't cost her the formal authorized job, she wouldn't get off easy. Suspension and fines would be enough to make this money-grubbing woman suffer terribly.
However, Du Heng hadn't advised the patient to report it, nor did he intend to do so himself. This was considered giving face to both Zhang Jinlian and Li Qingde. Otherwise, if a doctor under his management caused such an incident, he, as the supervising leader, would definitely not get off lightly.
Now, with such a clear and justifiable reason, Li Qingde naturally wouldn't let it go. He immediately gave Zhang Jinlian a fierce dressing-down. Being a leader, he lectured her on the process, the outcome, and the potential consequences—a standard session of workplace browbeating—until Zhang Jinlian's face turned from pale to red, then from red to a darkish hue. She shot Du Heng a venomous glare and quickly scurried away in disgrace.
Li Qingde had never felt so gratified; he had been tormented by Zhang Jinlian for years.
Now, feeling thoroughly refreshed and in high spirits, he smiled and asked Du Heng, "Xiao Du, my relative's face seems to have been struck by wind. Can you take a look and see if it's treatable?"
He had actually intended to find Zhang Jinlian. However, after hearing about Du Heng's emergency intervention and seizing the chance to berate Zhang Jinlian, he decided to ask Du Heng instead.
If Du Heng could treat it, that would be ideal. If not, they'd just have to send the relative to the city hospital.