This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

Their reaction was a long-standing habit.

Whenever there was a critically ill child, they would perform a simple treatment and then send them directly to the Provincial Women and Children’s Hospital. It saved time, effort, and most importantly, trouble.

However, the long-term result of this was that experience didn’t accumulate, skills didn’t improve, but the ability to shirk responsibility became second nature.

In today’s situation, a case of epidemic mumps had thoroughly frightened the entire Pediatrics Department. Even now, instead of considering a change in medication or treatment strategy, their first thought was to quickly send the child to the Provincial Women and Children’s Hospital.

This made Du Heng, who had just won an award, feel extremely embarrassed and awkward. He was pulling the cart at full speed ahead, while those behind him were constantly applying the brakes, even trying to dismantle the cart.

He had to think of a way to change these people; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to carry them along.

”Go and call Xiao Li for me. Tell him to bring the needle tool kit,” Du Heng instructed Qiu Pingzhen immediately after finishing the examination.

Then, he lowered his head, grabbed the child’s fingers, and used the knuckles of his index and middle fingers to stroke upwards along each one. Except for the thumbs, he attended to all eight fingers.

Du Heng’s stroking action appeared very forceful. Each movement caused the child’s face, eyes closed, to twitch, which deeply pained the parents. But for their child’s sake, they endured it without a word.

After Du Heng had completed two rounds of this, Xiao Li entered with the needle tool kit.

”Dean, I’m here.”

”Prepare a three-edged needle.”

As he spoke, Du Heng reached out and directly pulled the infusion needle from the child’s arm.

”Dean, what are you doing?” the Pediatrics Department Director couldn’t help but ask. At the same time, the child’s parents stared intently at Du Heng.

”I’m going to use traditional Chinese medicine for the child. This Western medicine cannot be used concurrently.”

With that, he accepted the three-edged needle and performed point pricking on the Shixuan and Twelve Well Points to induce bleeding.

In a short while, the child began to sweat and opened his eyes. However, due to his swollen throat, he was too uncomfortable to cry, though he clearly wanted to. His distressed appearance was pitiful to see.

Du Heng observed the child’s condition, then asked for a pen and paper to write a prescription: seventeen Traditional Chinese medicinal materials, including honeysuckle, isatis root, prunella, earth fritillaria, hibiscus leaves, and flea. Except for honeysuckle, which was prescribed in a larger dose, the others were all around six grams each.

The reason for the larger dose of honeysuckle was its antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and immune-regulatory effects, which were perfectly suited to the child’s current condition.

Xiao Li took the prescription, glanced at it, and immediately asked, ”Dean, this is Pujidesinfectiondrink with flea and Uncaria hook added. Is it to be decocted as usual, or are there special requirements?”

”Soak in cold water for one hour, then bring to a rolling boil for ten minutes. Administer continuously.”

Xiao Li nodded, said, ”Alright,” and quickly left with the prescription.

”From now on, do not give the child any other medications. Wait one hour, then give the child this Decoction medicine.”

After instructing the family, Du Heng asked Si Hongyan from the Pediatrics Department to watch over the child, then turned and returned to his office.

”Director Qiu, what are your thoughts on today’s events?” Back in his office, Du Heng asked Qiu Pingzhen for his opinion, his face stern.

Qiu Pingzhen wasn’t immediately sure which aspect Du Heng was referring to. After a moment’s thought, he said, ”Dr. Si should apologize to the family and the child, and the hospital should offer some form of fee reduction or exemption for the child.”

Du Heng shook his head. ”I’m not asking about how to handle the aftermath. I’m asking for your opinion on the Pediatrics Department’s performance today.”

Qiu Pingzhen felt a headache coming on. Just when things with the Obstetrics Department had been sorted out, the Pediatrics Department immediately presented another problem. It truly was one wave after another.

He knew exactly what Du Heng was asking, but it was a difficult subject for him to comment on.

After some thought, he said, ”Dean, the standard of our Pediatrics Department hasn’t been improving. Moreover, children are so precious these days that our pediatricians are often hesitant and overly cautious when taking action. Another point is that the Provincial Women and Children’s Hospital isn’t far from us. They have greater strength and superior technical skills, so transferring patients to them is also a safer option.”

Du Heng sneered. ”Since everything is being transferred to the Provincial Women and Children’s Hospital, what’s the point of us having a Pediatrics Department? We might as well disband it. In the future, if there are patients, we can send them directly to the Provincial Women and Children’s Hospital; it would be much less trouble.

”Besides, the Pediatrics Department currently has eleven staff members, including doctors and nurses. If the average salary is 6,000 yuan per person, that’s an expenditure of at least 70,000 yuan per month. By disbanding it, our hospital would save over 70,000 yuan a month, amounting to 800,000 yuan a year.

”What do you think of that?”

Qiu Pingzhen knew Du Heng was speaking out of anger, but he couldn’t refute it. If anyone was to blame, it was the Pediatrics Department for its own lack of competence.

Consider the hospital’s current departments: Old Cao in the Internal Medicine Department has a sick bed vacancy rate of less than twenty percent. Gao Qin in the Gynecology Department has a sick bed vacancy rate of less than ten percent. And the Chinese Medicine Department, established by Du Heng himself, has seen a steady increase in patients since the day it opened. It now receives patients from all over the country and has even referred many pathogens to the Pediatrics Department. These changes have all occurred gradually within the last two months. This shows that it’s not that the Municipal Maternal and Child Health Hospital lacks pathogens, but rather that its doctors lack the ability to retain these pathogens and earn the patients’ trust. This isn’t just baseless talk. Look at the other departments: either directors are dismissed, or doctors make misdiagnoses. If they don’t strive to improve, who can they blame?

”Dean, please calm down.”

”What is there for me to be calm about?” Du Heng sneered again. ”If they perform well, their own incomes increase, and so does the hospital’s revenue. When the hospital’s revenue increases, their working conditions and benefits improve. If they don’t want that now, I won’t force them. At worst, I’ll just disband the department. Out of sight, out of mind.”

Qiu Pingzhen sighed helplessly. ”Dean, I’ll try to think of a solution.”

”Forget it. You don’t need to bother. This is their own choice. Even if you rack your brains or run yourself ragged, it’s useless if they themselves don’t care.”

Du Heng leaned back in his large chair. ”Besides, I’ve long felt our department setup is unreasonable. For example, we have an Obstetrics Department, yet we insist on having a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. We have a Pediatrics Department, yet we insist on having a Pediatric Care Department. What’s the point?

”The entire Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology functions like a Post-partum Care Center, but hardly anyone ever uses it. The Pediatric Care Department is even more ridiculous. In the two months I’ve been here, I haven’t seen them admit a single baby. The one baby they did see was treated by me.

”Isn’t this purely a joke?”

Du Heng almost laughed at his own words. ”Now is the perfect time. Inform the other leaders. We need to streamline our operations, merge what should be merged, and disband what should be disbanded. We’ll also establish a few new, useful departments.”

Hearing this, Qiu Pingzhen knew this wasn’t an idea Du Heng had come up with on a whim; it was likely a premeditated plan. He was merely using the current situation as a convenient pretext. Moreover, Du Heng had just won a second prize in a science and technology award, had support from superiors, and possessed personal prestige. It was unlikely anyone could oppose him at this stage.

”Dean, merging and disbanding departments isn’t a simple matter. Each department has over ten medical staff. How will these people be reassigned?” Qiu Pingzhen still wanted to try to persuade Du Heng. ”We shouldn’t rush this.”

”It’s simple. For the merged departments and the newly established ones, all positions will be filled through competitive selection. For the disbanded departments, those who can be absorbed elsewhere will stay; those who cannot will have to leave.”

Alright, Qiu Pingzhen knew Du Heng was determined. He decided to make one last attempt. ”That might work for contract employees, but what about those with authorized jobs?”

Du Heng looked deeply at Qiu Pingzhen. ”How many people are in your Medical Affairs Office?”

”Four.”

”How many have authorized jobs?”

”Two.”

”Then fire the other two and transfer the eliminated staff who have authorized jobs into your department. Would that work?”

Qiu Pingzhen sighed. That’s ruthless.

Then, he said resignedly, ”Yes, that will work.”