Through the office window, Du Heng suddenly noticed that the previously fluttering snowflakes had stopped. The sun even shyly cast a few rays of light through the thinning clouds.
On the street, a water sprinkler truck, playing "Mothers Are the Best on This World," slowly drove by.
Who knew what they added to the water in the water sprinkler truck? As soon as it was sprayed on the road, the snow melted quickly. Moreover, when the weather got colder, this treated snow wouldn't freeze even when it melted into water.
Du Heng took a satisfying swig of water and sat down on his chair to rest.
This morning, one could say, was an experience unlike any he'd had since he started working. But he liked this feeling!
Successfully treat 3/1000 (in progress)
Taking a moment to glance at the mission progress, Du Heng helplessly found that the pediatric patient from just now had only provided him with one valid disease record. Even though he had treated the fever and cold separately, the system didn't count them as two.
Sigh, for a 50,000 yuan basic salary, it seems I still have to treat patients diligently, he thought.
Wu Buwei finished preparing the medicine. Instead of taking it directly to the patient, he brought it to the office first.
Du Heng thought this was perfect. He could take the medicine to the hospital room and clearly explain the dosage, saving the patient's family a special trip.
Wu Buwei watched as Du Heng took the medicine away, hesitating to speak.
He knew that the scene in the hospital room just now had made him lose face.
"Senior Brother..."
"You focus on your books. I'll take this up and explain to the patient how to use the medicine. By the way, study hard. Ask if there's anything you don't understand. If you don't pass the check on Friday, I'll have to punish you."
Du Heng wasn't angry about what had happened because he knew getting angry wouldn't solve anything.
「In the afternoon」
The facial paralysis patient was discharged from the hospital with the medicine prescribed by Du Heng.
Du Heng watched the patient's receding figure, with a nagging feeling that he'd forgotten something, but he couldn't quite recall what it was.
What on earth did I forget?
Du Heng absentmindedly scratched his head and turned to head back to the office.
Unexpectedly, a voice from behind suddenly called out to him, "Doctor Du, wait."
Looking back, he saw a very familiar-looking man standing behind him.
He looks very familiar, but I just can't remember who he is. How has my memory gotten so poor after getting a system?
Du Heng said politely, "Hello, may I ask who you are?"
"Doctor Du, I'm Fan Yuxiang!" The man spoke as he stepped forward, grabbed Du Heng's hand, and held it tightly. "Doctor Du, thank you so much! You're truly amazing!"
Fan Yuxiang! It suddenly dawned on Du Heng. No wonder the man looked so familiar.
It wasn't entirely Du Heng's fault for not remembering. They had only met twice the previous Friday, once in the hospital room and once in the Hall.
It had been two days. Moreover, he had recently attended a funeral and met so many people, so his memory was all mixed up.
"Have you had your check-up? What were the results?" Du Heng asked with concern. After all, he was the one who had told the man to get a check-up.
"Thank you so much, Doctor Du! I've had the check-up. It's indeed emphysema, just like you said."
"Then why didn't you stay in the hospital for treatment?"
Fan Yuxiang looked somewhat troubled, hesitating to speak.
Du Heng could see his difficulty and said, "Let's go to my office to talk."
Back in the office, Du Heng closed the door, leaving only himself and Wu Buwei inside. "Alright, tell me now. What's going on?"
Fan Yuxiang hesitated before speaking, his face filled with embarrassment and unease. "Doctor Du, since you diagnosed my condition, can you treat this illness for me?"
Du Heng leaned back slightly. "I can treat it, but can you tell me why you're asking?"
"Well, I asked around. At the Pulmonary Hospital, inpatient treatment to completely control the condition costs around 4,000 yuan. Even with reimbursement, it's still over 2,000 yuan. Plus, there's medicine we need to buy from outside, which costs over 1,000 yuan. I can't quite afford it. My daughter is a sophomore this year, and the financial burden is quite heavy."
Fan Yuxiang sighed and said helplessly, "I don't have any special skills or abilities. All I can do is manual labor, but with this disease... sigh!"
Du Heng sighed. Such is the love of parents everywhere. My own family is in a similar situation. For me to be able to marry and for my niece to attend school without worry, my elder brother was also disregarding his own health, planning to go to the city to find work. Fortunately, I now had the system, which had allowed me to avoid such a situation. And things would only get better for me in the future. But Fan Yuxiang, standing before me, was truly in a difficult spot.
Emphysema is a rich man's disease. It won't kill you, but it's incredibly tormenting. You can't catch a cold; you have to be extremely careful in daily life. One slip-up, one cold, and you're hit with shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and another hospital stay, which is considerably expensive. You can't overexert yourself. With impaired lung function, even walking a few extra steps can leave you breathless, let alone doing farm work or heavy labor. If you ignore this and insist on heavy work, you'll end up back in the hospital. Moreover, this illness requires long-term medication and proper nutrition, all of which amounts to a huge expense. The hardships of ordinary people! Especially for a family like Fan Yuxiang's. If he collapses, the family's main pillar collapses. Their income would immediately plummet by 80% or even more.
"I can treat this illness," Du Heng said. "But you'll need to be hospitalized for a few days to clear up the inflammation in your lungs."
"Okay, thank you, Doctor Du!"
Du Heng waved his hand. "Don't get happy too soon. Traditional Chinese medicine treatment for this kind of illness doesn't work as quickly as Western medicine; it will take a relatively long time. Also, even after you're discharged, you'll still need to take medicine to manage it. You need to be clear about that."
Fan Yuxiang nodded, indicating he understood. Even if it took longer, compared to the cost of Western medicine, the cost of Chinese herbal medicine was a mere pittance.
Moreover, treatment at the Health Clinic offered a higher reimbursement rate. He had someone calculate it; he would hardly spend any money at all.
Seeing Fan Yuxiang nod, Du Heng said, "Alright then. Go and register first. I'll arrange your admission."
Fan Yuxiang, breathing heavily, thanked Du Heng again and went to register.
Du Heng saw Fan Yuxiang's name appear in the system, clicked on his disease record, and reviewed it carefully. When Fan Yuxiang returned, Du Heng asked him to extend his hand for another examination.
After checking his pulse, Du Heng's eyebrows twitched. "Come, lie down on this bed. I need to give you a physical examination."
After another flurry of activity, Du Heng looked at Fan Yuxiang with a peculiar expression.
This gaze made Fan Yuxiang uneasy. "Doc... Doctor Du, what's wrong with me? Has my condition worsened?"
"Worsened? How do you feel today compared to the last few days?"
Fan Yuxiang thought for a moment. "Much better than the last few days. Before, I'd be panting just from talking, and even the steam from my food would make me cough. Today is much better. I hardly pant when I walk."
"Exactly. Your shortness of breath has improved. So, would you say it's worsened?"
Du Heng looked at Fan Yuxiang, somewhat speechless. "Did you receive treatment at the Pulmonary Hospital? Or have you taken any medication these past few days?"
Fan Yuxiang was taken aback. "I only finished the check-up at the Pulmonary Hospital this morning. After the diagnosis this afternoon, I came straight back here. I haven't received any treatment. Oh, wait! I've been taking the medicine you prescribed me these past few days."
"The medicine I prescribed? Didn't I only give you one dose that day?"
"That's right. On Friday, I couldn't get the check-up at the Pulmonary Hospital because their outpatient service isn't open on Saturdays and Sundays. I was in so much discomfort. So, on Saturday, I took it upon myself to get two more doses of medicine according to your house."
"So that's what happened. How many times a day did you take it?"
"Three times."
Du Heng sighed. "That's too much. Twice a day would have been sufficient."
Fortunately, he only took it for two days. If it had been a few more, he might very well have developed other problems.