This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

However, it took Du Heng a full twenty minutes to make this child utter his first cry. The tube lodged in the child’s mouth and deep in his throat had been an obstacle, preventing him from crying out.

Seeing this, Du Heng immediately stopped the acupuncture and carefully, yet quickly, removed the feeding tube from the child’s mouth.

As the child’s normal cry finally sounded, the young doctor standing behind clenched his fist and exclaimed, ”YES!”

It was exactly the same as in the video; this President Du really could cure this disease!

The two women standing at the very back, though also looking astonished, whispered, ”The child cried before, so what’s there to be proud of? He’s just crying a bit louder; the fundamental problem hasn’t been solved.”

Their voices were very low this time, but the young doctor still heard them.

This time, however, he didn’t argue. Instead, he turned his head, smiled faintly, and then resumed watching Du Heng’s treatment.

Mei Dong was also very happy, but he was more composed than the young doctor. ”Doctor Du, what’s next?” he asked.

”I need to write a prescription for some medicine.”

”Alright, President Du. You write it, and I’ll sign.”

Du Heng arched an eyebrow slightly but said nothing. Once pen and paper were brought, he began writing the prescription. The task of running the errand fell to the young doctor once more.

With the previous child, the first phase of Du Heng’s work would have been complete.

But for this child, it was not.

After the young doctor left with the prescription, Du Heng began to massage the child, working to relax the muscles all over his body.

This child, it should be noted, had already endured four days of abnormal muscle tone and convulsions, leaving his muscles and meridians in a constant state of tension.

As Du Heng continued the massage, the child gradually stopped crying. His small, pink mouth even began to make sucking motions.

This sucking motion from the child made Mei Dong’s face break into a wide smile.

Then it was time to feed the child, followed by administering the medicine.

The doctors here were all practitioners of Western medicine, and this was the first time they had all cooperated on such a case. To be honest, Du Heng didn’t fully trust them.

Furthermore, Du Heng intended to collect data during this treatment, so he handled every step personally.

Mei Dong was unaware of Du Heng’s intentions. He didn’t dare suggest Du Heng step back at this critical juncture, so he allowed him to remain with the child.

The subsequent developments were much like those with the previous child.

However, there were still some differences. After this child had a bowel movement, the expelled substance was not the purely white, jelly-like material seen before. Instead, it was a jelly-like substance that was white with a faint yellowish tinge.

Seeing this faintly yellow, jelly-like substance, Du Heng paused, slightly lost in thought.

He had anticipated that different children would exhibit varying symptoms and reactions to the illness.

Yet, when these anticipated variations truly manifested, and with slight deviations from his predictions, he was still momentarily taken aback.

As the Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Mei Dong was exceptionally busy.

But today, he couldn’t bring himself to leave, not even for a moment.

What Du Heng was doing now was like witnessing a revival of the glorious achievements of their hospital’s esteemed predecessors, and Mei Dong didn’t want to miss this historic moment.

At the same time, the thought Director Sun from the Medical Affairs Office had voiced echoed in his mind: How could such a talented individual be left to languish in a backwater like the Municipal Maternal and Child Health Hospital? He belongs in an elite team, like the one at the Provincial Women and Children’s Hospital, making a real difference for patients, for children.

He wanted nothing more than to continue observing Du Heng’s treatment and not deal with other matters. However, the other doctors wouldn’t leave him be; certain decisions required his approval as the Director.

So, just as he was engrossed in watching, a middle-aged female doctor approached his side, interrupting his concentration. ”Director,” she said, ”there’s a child who needs you to take a look.”

Without turning his head, his eyes still fixed on the child Du Heng was treating, Mei Dong asked, ”What’s the situation? Can’t you handle it?”

”It’s the baby girl with jaundice, the one admitted three days ago.”

”Oh, I recall. What’s her condition now?”

”She’s had three days of blue light therapy, and we’ve used conventional treatments and medication, but the jaundice isn’t subsiding.” The middle-aged female doctor frowned, her gaze, however, drifted towards the busy Du Heng.

That man looks somewhat familiar, she thought.

She didn’t dwell on it and continued, ”This morning, we wanted the father to take a sample to the Blood Center, but he refused. I spoke with him again just after lunch when I came on duty, and he still wouldn’t agree.”

Mei Dong’s interest in watching Du Heng waned, his eyebrows knitting tightly together.

This father, Mei Dong thought, is the most infuriating kind of family member. Uncooperative with this, complaining about the cost of that, and when problems inevitably arise, they resort to the most contemptible behavior.

”Why does he refuse?”

The middle-aged female doctor hesitated for a moment before replying, ”The baby was diagnosed with an enlarged liver and spleen, and hepatitis.”

”Hepatitis?”

”Yes.” The female doctor glanced at Mei Dong cautiously, worried he might reprimand her sharply.

Jaundice is common in newborns. Some babies have mild cases with faint yellowing that resolves on its own. However, other infants can have significantly higher levels of jaundice that require treatment to subside.

Infant hepatitis is one of the most problematic causes. Besides inducing jaundice, it can impair liver function and lead to metabolic disorders. It’s a critical condition with a high mortality rate.

The female doctor felt uneasy, knowing such a serious condition hadn’t been immediately reported to the director.

But Mei Dong understood his doctors.

They had encountered and treated infant hepatitis before. Although these hadn’t been the most severe cases, they did have experience. And they undoubtedly had their reasons for not escalating it immediately.

”Continue,” Mei Dong prompted.

”Conventional medication is no longer controlling it. We suspect the baby might have other underlying conditions in addition to hepatitis, which is why we wanted to run a blood test.

However, the father heard from somewhere that even if infant hepatitis is cured, there can be severe long-term complications, essentially leaving the child disabled. So now, he’s not being cooperative; it’s as if he’s resigned to letting the baby live or die on its own.”

The middle-aged female doctor sounded somewhat helpless. ”If the mother hadn’t insisted so strongly on treatment, the father might have already taken the baby home to die.”

Mei Dong’s expression turned exceedingly grim.

In their department, they had long grown accustomed to matters of life and death concerning children.

This didn’t mean they were cold-blooded; they had simply learned to compartmentalize certain negative emotions and regulate their feelings quickly.

But hearing about a parent like this still filled them with a sense of heartbreak and helplessness.

But is the father truly wrong? Mei Dong pondered. Infant hepatitis for this many days... it’s likely already caused liver damage. Even if the baby survives, the father’s fears might very well come true. His concern about the child being disabled isn’t unfounded. If the liver damage is particularly severe, the family and the child would indeed face a lifetime of suffering. Yet, for a father to simply let his child wait for death... As the doctor responsible for the child’s treatment, Mei Dong found it unacceptable.

”What treatment methods have you employed so far?” Mei Dong asked, his voice heavy.

The female doctor began to list the various treatments they had tried. The more she spoke, the tighter Mei Dong’s brow furrowed, and the darker his expression grew.

The treatments she described were all methods he himself would have considered.

So, if the father continued to refuse the blood test, they would be left with no better options.

Mei Dong took a deep breath. ”Alright, take me to see the child.” He had to make one last effort.

Du Heng had kept his head down throughout their conversation, continuing to massage the child in his care.

He reminded himself that he was an outsider here and shouldn’t interfere or voice an opinion. Yet, hearing about the father’s decision, he found it deeply unsettling.

Just as Du Heng was hesitating about whether to say something, Mei Dong, who had already taken a few steps, paused. ”President Du,” he said, turning back, ”can things here be left for a moment?”

”Of course,” Du Heng nodded immediately. ”The child is stable now. It’s fine as long as someone keeps an eye on him.”

”In that case... President Du, would you perhaps come with me to see this other child?” Mei Dong extended his most earnest invitation.