System Came When the Doctor was Thirty

Chen Fang led the patient’s family to the office for a conversation and to sign forms.

The woman’s current injury is on her foot, though it’s an emergency, losing a foot is not life-threatening, and does not necessitate shortening the conversation and procedure signing handled by the chief on duty.

After the patient’s family left, Liang Shuhao gratefully bowed and thanked: ”Director Lu, thank you for your help. In a few days, I will definitely propose a toast to you in gratitude in person.”

The pressure Liang Shuhao felt was his own concern, Lu Cheng’s willingness to help was a favor, and favors must be repaid.

Amputation is a minor surgery, technically simple, but it brings extreme suffering to the patient, not due to high difficulty in the procedure itself. Liang Shuhao was not worried that Lu Cheng would perform a poor amputation.

Lu Cheng, however, solemnly instructed: ”Dr. Liang, for such matters, a few times is bearable, but frequent occurrences can’t be sustained.”

Liang Shuhao bitterly said: ”Director Lu, rest assured, this is a favor we ask from you, and we absolutely won’t put you in a difficult position. Our department would ask for your assistance at most four or five operations a month, even once a week just to slightly relieve pressure.”

”If not for the administration carelessly imposing pressure without considering actual conditions, we wouldn’t be doing this.”

Lu Cheng nodded: ”I’ll discuss the surgical procedure with Dr. Dai; he was previously in general surgery and not much involved with our orthopedic cases.”

”Dr. Liang, carry on with your tasks.”

Having received the favor, Liang Shuhao did not linger. After another gesture of thanks, he hurriedly left.

Dai Linfang smacked his lips, explaining: ”Brother Lu, the pressure Dr. Liang Shuhao mentioned, every department has it.”

”Hospital leadership, aiming to generate data, even allocated some pressure to emergency departments, such as mortality rates.”

”It’s like hit-or-miss tactics.”

”Anyway, they don’t personally complete these tasks. At year-end, when specialized tasks are incomplete, it conveniently highlights their work, standing from a macro position to critique lack of progress.”

Forcing difficulties is one way to pressure progress, yet Lu Cheng, as a clinical doctor, suffers from such interests, certainly not empathizing with administrative views.

Lu Cheng scratched his chin, blinked twice, then said: ”Dai Linfang, go tell Chen Fang to write the surgical method like this: debridement and suturing (prepared for limb disconnection surgery).”

Dai Linfang was slightly troubled: ”What are you planning?”

Dai Linfang carefully scrutinized Lu Cheng, wondering if Lu Cheng was up to something again.

Lu Cheng, appearing very honest, does his duties diligently if not given autonomy, taking tasks within his authority to their utmost.

For example, manual dislocation reduction, even ’Spleen Preservation Surgery’!

The manual reduction of fractures was something he’d never touch before obtaining the trauma center from trauma surgery.

”I want to fight for some benefits for the patient. But with just the two of us, we’re undoubtedly outmatched. I need to call Director Wu Xiang from orthopedics.”

”Currently, the debridement and suturing for damage injuries is not ranked and is considered a new procedure within the hospital. This requires a senior associate high-ranking leader to spearhead it.”

Lu Cheng said: ”Limb damage injuries naturally fall under trauma surgery. If Director Wu Xiang isn’t inclined, the trauma center won’t be our arena, and it’s not for us youngsters to fuel sentimental endeavors.”

Medicine is a rigorous discipline. Besides anatomy and term explanations deriving from definitions, other theories are compiled from statistical data.

Surgical grading is such; new surgical conclusions are likewise.

Statistics originate from comprehensive analysis of previous data; hence, why the state and health commission classify surgeries and restrain authorities is not meant to bind eccentrics like ’Lu Cheng’ and ’Dai Linfang’, but to constrain ordinary incompetents.

”Eccentric” intends ”genius.”

If you have the capability, the hospital and health committee have left countless ”bright paths”, ”secret ways”, and ”shortcuts” to legalize your procedures.

This includes inviting appropriately titled professionals to stand by.

If you’re tenacious, what about hospitals without an associate high-ranking deputy chief physician?

Hospitals lacking such positions probably aren’t significant, and the health committee doesn’t expect them to conduct new and advanced surgeries.

If such places stifle some talent, consider it an unintended sacrifice.

Facing Dai Linfang’s piercing and skeptical gaze, Lu Cheng explained further: ”My training unit was Zhongnan Hospital. During my training there, it was the origination period of damaged injury theories and clinical research.”

”Didn’t participate, just observed.”

”Back then, lacking in theoretical and operational reserves, it felt like navigating a fog. Only looking back now do I grasp some intricacies.”

Dai Linfang, who had clandestinely communicated with Lan Hualuo, knew that Zhongnan Hospital, where Lu Cheng trained, was one of the originating sites inspiring limb damage limb preservation surgery.

”Brother Lu, joking about such matters is inappropriate.”

”No one demands the resident newbies from our trauma center to undertake such tasks.”

”Those in higher positions carry the stress.” Dai Linfang advised Lu Cheng to be cautious in speech and behavior.

Lu Cheng faced more extreme real-world dilemmas than Dai Linfang. Of course, having worked in the county, he has seen more unfortunate people than in State People’s Hospital.

Ineffectual compassion is saint-like, yet providing aid when possible encapsulates the essence of medicine.

Lu Cheng chuckled softly: ”Don’t worry, this time the higher-ups must bear the pressure. I’ll mention this to Director Wu in trauma surgery, and if he’s unwilling to come, I’ll personally demonstrate a fish mouth suture following limb amputation.”