This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

Wang Pan’s excitement remained, but his tone was slightly calmer. ”Have you summarized why these patients cannot be cured?”

”There are many reasons, but generally, it comes down to one or two main ones.” Du Heng spoke directly, not hiding anything. ”The first is that the post-stroke prognosis and follow-up care are often inadequate. Before receiving our treatment, some meridians, blood vessels, and muscles in patients have already undergone irreversible atrophy and degeneration.

”Another reason is that patients did not receive timely treatment after suffering a stroke. This caused too much delay and damaged the central control nerves in their brain, which in turn affected their limbs and language.

”The third kind are those who are too old and suffer from a severe lack of vitality, making it impossible to improve their condition using current treatment methods.”

After hearing this, Wang Pan nodded. ”Mr. Du, the situations you’ve described are indeed dire and often beyond current solutions. However, they don’t necessarily hinder the overall completion assessment of your project.”

As he spoke, Wang Pan looked at Du Heng with burning intensity and asked, ”When will these results be published?”

”So far, we have completed twenty-three papers, but only eleven of them are suitable for core journals.” Du Heng shook his head with some dissatisfaction. ”Another sixteen papers are still under revision.”

Hearing this number, Wang Pan’s eyes sparkled even brighter; his gaze on Du Heng was so intense it seemed as if it could melt him.

Eleven core papers! This is insane!

However, Du Heng was clearly dissatisfied with this number. Of these eleven papers, he had authored four himself; the rest were by Wu Buwei and the others. Wu Buwei’s papers, in turn, had been revised and completed with the help of Du Heng and Li Jianwei. Following this line of reasoning, it’s unlikely the other papers were completed independently either. Du Heng, the person in charge of the project, provided guidance and assistance. There must have been help from their hospital Directors or Mentors as well.

Before the new year, there had only been two qualified papers. But by April and May, nearly twenty more had suddenly appeared, all of high quality. Without the behind-the-scenes help from their Directors and Mentors, such progress would have been unbelievable.

Du Heng couldn’t believe that these individuals, who were struggling before the new year, had suddenly become enlightened over the holiday.

However, what could he do, even if he didn’t believe it? They had indeed completed the discussion of their chosen topics and were able to provide clear and concise answers to the issues raised in their papers. Since Wu Buwei’s paper was completed with his and Li Jianwei’s help, he couldn’t really say anything.

As for some papers not making it into core journals, Du Heng wasn’t overly concerned. This was because some research angles, by their nature, simply didn’t meet the criteria for core journals.

For example, one article was titled ”The Necessity of Using Yellow Wine as a Medicinal Catalyst for Treating Facial Paralysis with Beef Marrow and Honey Pills.” A large portion of the article compared yellow wine with white spirit and red wine to argue for the validity and importance of using yellow wine as a medicinal catalyst.

Du Heng couldn’t figure out how much this doctor loved drinking to come up with such an angle for an article.

But one couldn’t deny that the angle was valid, and the paper was very well-written. However, regardless of how well-written, using alcohol as a medicinal catalyst is uncommon. Furthermore, while it holds some importance in the treatment process, it’s not indispensable. Omitting it would only slightly reduce the treatment’s efficacy.

To think this article could get into a core journal? Dreaming!

Wang Pan rubbed his hands, his excitement showing. ”Mr. Du, what are your thoughts on publishing these papers?”

”I’ve already spoken with the journal editors. Two core papers and five general papers will be published in the June issue. Another two core papers and five general papers will be published at the end of the year,” Du Heng stated his arrangements calmly.

Wang Pan was visibly taken aback. ”Mr. Du, does this mean you don’t intend to conclude the project yet?”

Du Heng nodded openly. ”Indeed, that’s my thought.”

”Why?” Wang Pan asked, somewhat puzzled. Once these existing papers were published, the project could be officially concluded. As soon as it finished, Du Heng would be an expert who had completed a national-level project. His standing in the industry would be significantly elevated, placing him among the elite. At that point, securing professional titles in both the School and the hospital would be easy. In the School, he could be directly promoted to Professor without objection; no one would raise concerns about his young age or limited teaching experience.

More importantly, when Du Heng applies for projects in the future, as long as his requests aren’t excessive, the Department will likely approve them. The Project Funding would then be far more substantial than the current mere hundreds of thousands of yuan. If a project’s importance is deemed irreplaceable, frankly, the allocated Project Funding can be astonishingly large.

With so many benefits, why would Du Heng refuse to conclude the project?

Du Heng didn’t hide his reasoning. ”My idea is not just to produce research results but also to train a large number of doctors who can carry out treatment directly at the grassroots level.

”You know the situation in our province, Principal; we’re facing severe funding shortages. So, I don’t plan to end the project so soon. I want to use the project funds to train more doctors in our province.

”This way, patients in our remote areas wouldn’t have to travel to Jinzhou, the Capital, Hushang, or other major cities; they could receive treatment locally, even at home.

”This would save them the hardship of travel and significantly alleviate their financial burden.”

Du Heng sighed deeply and continued, ”Our province is an economically underdeveloped region, and urbanization and community development lag behind. Most residents are still farmers, and even those working in urban areas do not have high salaries.

”The high-risk population for stroke predominantly comprises middle-aged men, who are often the primary labor force and income source for their families. Alarmingly, the age of onset is trending younger, exacerbating the financial strain on already struggling households.

”If the man of the family suffers a stroke, not only is a vital member of the workforce lost, but the family is also burdened with providing care, which prevents other members from earning a livelihood.”

Du Heng had a deep understanding of this. After a pause, he said seriously, ”Taking care of a paralyzed or mobility-impaired patient for an extended period can make even the most patient and loving person anxious and irritable, affecting family harmony.

”Furthermore, because the stroke patient is often the family’s main provider, constant care is required, along with ongoing expenses for medicine and treatment. Poverty due to illness, or a relapse into poverty because of it, becomes an inescapable nightmare for such families.

”For these impoverished families, seeking treatment in major cities and Big Hospitals is often an unattainable dream.

”But this creates a vicious cycle: being poor means they can’t afford treatment for the illness, and because they’re sick, they can’t earn money, leading to perpetual poverty.”

Wang Pan agreed with this perspective but still had a question. ”Mr. Du, your intentions are good. But have you considered this: if you complete this project and apply for a new one, not only would it likely be approved easily, but the research funding would also increase substantially? That way, wouldn’t you have more funds to train new doctors?”

Du Heng shook his head. ”My workplace has changed. The next time I apply for a project, I can only do so through the School or Good Friend Hospital. At that time, the use of funds will be subject to the supervision of the School or the hospital. Would you agree to that?”

Wang Pan paused, suddenly realizing he had overlooked this detail.

Du Heng chuckled softly. ”Besides, using funds from a different project to train personnel for an already concluded project would likely cause significant problems, wouldn’t it? It wouldn’t be justifiable, and I believe many people would disapprove.

”So, I plan not to conclude the project just yet. Instead, I’ll publish more quality papers and try to secure additional follow-up funding. I’ll train new doctors within this project’s framework, and no one can legitimately object.

”Moreover, as long as this project continues to produce valuable results, it shouldn’t interfere with other matters. Don’t you think so, Principal?”