Path of Medicine With a System

Chapter 162: You’re not from the Bureau of Health

Translator: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

At Chark City Hospital, the new superintendent warmly greeted Zhang Fan and Wei Wei in his office. Wei Wei informed him of Kang Hua’s decision to have Zhang Fan start coming to Chark City Hospital on occasion to perform surgeries. Since this was a command from Kang Hua, the superintendent didn’t mind one bit what rank Zhang Fan was as a doctor. He was the type who valued staying in his direct boss’s good graces even more than obeying the law.

Zhang Fan offered to take Wei Wei back to the government office on his way back to Chasu City, since it would also be along the way. However, Wei Wei refused as she didn’t want to be with Kang Hua’s supposed lover!

Zhang Fan was rather confused. ‘What’s with her?’ he wondered to himself. However, he paid it no mind.

A rather special patient arrived for the oncological department. This patient had primary carcinoma of the liver. Although his family’s financial condition was only average, he had a relative who was a highly influential member of Chasu City Political Consultative Conference. This relative didn’t have any power of his own, but he would easily be able to see the leader of Chasu City Communist Party Committee.

This patient was also a distant relative of Director Anar’s. This was why he came to the oncological department. Although he had orthotopic liver cancer, the tumor wasn’t small at all. His tumor had a diameter of five centimeters.

The patient’s name was Ai Shanjiang. He was in his mid-40s and had been an alcoholic for many years already. Although this tumor wasn’t small, it could still be surgically removed. However, it just happened to be in the exact center of the liver, with tumor thrombus occurring.

Director Zhao Quanping of general surgery checked the patient’s medical information and recommended surgery. Since Ai Shanjiang was a relative of Director Anar’s, she felt that she should invite an expert doctor for the surgery, so she invited Professor Chang from a tumor hospital.

Normally, it would be Chasu City Hospital’s surgical departments that should decide such things rather than the oncological department. However, since Director Anar had already invited Professor Chang, Zhao Quanping couldn’t say anything. This was because the general surgery department would typically invite an expert doctor from Dee University Affiliated Hospital to perform any liver cancer surgeries, since the general surgery director of Dee University Affiliated Hospital’s surgical department happened to be Zhao Quanping’s teacher. The general surgery department had never invited Professor Chang from the tumor hospital before.

When Zhang Fan arrived back at the oncological department from Chark City, he saw that there were a lot of people in the department. Superintendent Ouyang, the hospital administration director, the general surgery director, hepatobiliary department director, and many other doctors as well as the oncological department’s doctors were all gathered around a projector and discussing a single patient’s medical information.

Normally, Superintendent Ouyang would never personally come for such things. First of all, she was an internal medicine cardiology specialist, not an oncology or general surgery specialist. Secondly, she was the superintendent, which meant that she almost never would come participate in discussions about a single patient’s treatment.

Why had she come today? It was because of the patient’s special connections. The patient’s relative had talked to the leader of Chasu City Communist Party Committee, who told Superintendent Ouyang several times to take extra good care of the patient Ai Shanjiang.

Zhang Fan cranked his neck to take a look at the patient’s medical information. He saw a moderately large liver cancer tumor on the CT scan. At this time, he heard the invited Professor Chang insulting general surgery director Zhao Quanping and hepatobiliary director Zhao Hun.

“Just how can this surgery even be performed? The tumor is so large already, and it’s in the exact center of the liver, and on top of that, there’s already tumor thrombus. Just how much of the liver tissue will need to be removed? There’s also a major blood vessel right there. How are you going to deal with that? You might as well give him a liver transplant instead! I don’t think even the general surgery director of Dee University Affiliated Hospital would dare to perform this surgery! Although this is a lower-level hospital, can you at least be a little more professional!?” Professor Chang’s voice was filled with dripping sarcasm.

Normally, hired expert doctors who came to work at another hospital would be quite polite to the local doctors. That was because the local hospital was helping the hired doctor to earn extra money. Then, why was Professor Chang insulting the two Director Zhaos so badly? The reason was because Chasu City Hospital had never invited him even once before.

Professor Chang felt that he lost face from this. Hence, he was incredibly rude now that he had the chance to come here for the first time. He didn’t give even the slightest bit of face as he directly insulted general surgery director Zhao and hepatobiliary director Zhao. Since this all took place in front of so many doctors, both Zhaos felt really awkward!

Not only was it that way for the two directors, even Superintendent Ouyang’s face was now red with anger. If it weren’t for Superintendent Ouyang being present, all of the surgeons would have left already. Although Professor Chang was a professor, it wasn’t like he was the teacher of any of these doctors here.

Although Superintendent Ouyang was furious, she still gritted her teeth and stood there with a steely expression. She didn’t say anything, but she had gotten truly angry! This was pure and utter humiliation. However, she had to tolerate it no matter how angry she got, because of the Chasu City Communist Party Committee leader’s request which he made for several times that she take excellent care of this patient. Superintendent Ouyang also knew that if she left right now, all the other surgeons here would instantly leave as well!

“Let me say it once again. Remember well not to make such a low-level mistake ever again!” Professor Chang knew quite well that he would never be invited to Chasu City to perform tumor surgeries again with how rude he was being today, so he decided to make himself happy and say all he wanted! He didn’t care if he wouldn’t ever be invited again, because Chasu City Hospital had never invited him before in the first place.

Why had Chasu City Hospital never invited him before? There were many reasons. The main reason was that Professor Chang was a graduate of the workers, peasants, and soldiers’ generation and had the reputation of having a bad temper and loving to severely scold lower-ranking doctors. That was why Chasu City Hospital had never invited him before.

Director Anar of oncology was an internal medicine doctor. She didn’t know about any of this. She had studied before at the tumor hospital, which was why she used her connections there to invite Professor Chang.

Professor Chang was incredibly rude and insulting. Director Zhao Quanping was no longer able to take it anymore. He turned around and saw that Superintendent Ouyang had an incredibly angry and steely expression. He figured that the superintendent would devour him and the other Director Zhao if he didn’t say anything right here.

“There are plenty of examples of successfully removing tumors from the center of the liver before. There are also plenty of examples of successfully removing tumors even larger than this one. Other doctors have already written theses on this topic. How can this possibly count as making a low-level mistake that goes against common sense?” Zhao Quanping did his very best to resist his urge to angrily shout back as he defended himself.

“Were you the one who wrote such a thesis? What level of hospital do you think such doctors would be working at? What level of hospital is a small hospital like this? Your way of thinking is so wrong. You don’t have any sense of responsibility at all. You’re just experimenting with human lives! Do you even have any sense of professionalism as a doctor?” Professor Chang was the first to start shouting angrily!

This was because he had never performed such a surgery himself, either. Professor Chang was from the largest tumor hospital in the entire border province. He figured that a local Class A Hospital wouldn’t possibly have the ability to perform this surgery, which was why he had the confidence to act like this.

Professor Chang shouted so much that spit flew out from his mouth. He wiped his mouth and then shouted, “Do you know how many times others have experimented on animals with this type of surgery before? Do you have the data? Have you observed such a surgery before?”

“Director Chang, then in your opinion, how should we treat this patient?” Superintendent Ouyang spoke up at this time. As the superintendent, there were many things she needed to consider, such as pressure from those ranking higher than her in the government as well as the feelings of her subordinates. If she allowed Professor Chang to say any more, she knew that both Director Zhaos would likely quit working on this patient out of anger.

“We’re here in the border province. Especially for you low-level hospitals, don’t even dream of doing what you can’t do. Just do interventional embolization. You probably don’t even have any laser or refrigeration equipment here. Embolization will be the only possible method here. There would have been far more methods available at my tumor hospital,” Professor Chang declared proudly.

“How long will the patient be able to survive after the interventional embolization?” Superintendent Ouyang asked while gritting her teeth.

“That’s difficult to say. If he’s lucky and lives a bit longer, two to three years, or a little longer than that.”

Not a single doctor from Chasu City Hospital had a pleasant expression right now. Professor Chang had been far too rude. But, what could they do? He was a highly skilled doctor. No matter how rude he was, everyone was forced to listen to him.

Superintendent Ouyang was unable to make the primary decision regarding the patient’s treatment here. She would need to discuss things with the patient’s family members as well as report to the leader of Chasu City Communist Party Committee. She took two deep breaths in order to suppress the anger in her heart and somehow squeeze out a forced smile at Professor Chang. “Sorry to trouble you for today, Professor Chang. Let us all have a meal together. You can then rest for a while. If the family agrees, could you please perform the surgery tomorrow?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t have the time to waste here. I still need to go to another hospital to perform surgery there tomorrow. Damn it, you guys didn’t even discuss whether to perform surgery or not before inviting me here? Isn’t this a complete waste of my time?”

It became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Not a single person spoke because Professor Chang’s words were far too maddening. He was acting so arrogantly and speaking as if every single doctor here was worthless. Actually, Chasu City Hospital had several doctors who knew how to perform interventional embolization. Superintendent Ouyang had been trying to give Professor Chang a way to back off slightly, but he refused and didn’t give any face at all!

“Interventional embolism is only a palliative surgery. It will be difficult for the patient to survive for long after interventional embolism. For someone as young as this patient, he should receive a surgery to completely remove his tumor,” said Zhang Fan from outside the crowd of doctors. He was no longer able to tolerate listening to this Professor Chang whom he didn’t know.

The doctors standing around the patient’s medical information had all been busy listening to Professor Chang’s insults, so none of them had noticed Zhang Fan’s arrival. Zhang Fan’s words instantly pierced through the heavy atmosphere as everyone turned around to look at him.

Superintendent Ouyang had almost been about to explode with fury when she heard these words, because such words would obviously be a direct challenge to Professor Chang. Even the two Director Zhaos had fallen silent already, unable to say anything! Superintendent Ouyang had been about to viciously scold whoever caused more trouble until she noticed that it was Zhang Fan, so she swallowed her words!

Superintendent Ouyang was highly fond of Zhang Fan ever since he successfully performed several critical surgeries. She also knew that Zhang Fan wasn’t the type to speak up for no reason. Before anyone else could speak, Superintendent Ouyang spoke in a normal voice, “If you have a guarantee, then speak. If you don’t have any guarantee, then get out!”

This patient was far too special due to his connections! Superintendent Ouyang was saying this in order to protect the young doctor Zhang Fan.

Professor Chang looked to see who spoke, and was so angered that he laughed. Even the veteran department directors of Chasu City Hospital had been rendered unable to talk back to him due to his scolding. He figured that this young-seeming doctor was probably a recent graduate who had dared to speak out of turn due to reckless youth. Professor Chang was still a professor. Even though he loved to argue and scold others, he wouldn’t target such a youngster, because that wouldn’t be befitting of his status and he would lose face!

“Superintendent Ouyang, I feel like you’re managing this place poorly for a Class A hospital! How about I ask my hospital’s hospital administration department to let you send someone to learn from them so that you can learn how a major hospital like mine will properly do management!” Professor Chang’s voice had an incredibly sarcastic tone.

Superintendent Ouyang was no longer able to tolerate this. She was about to say something when Zhang Fan stepped forward and gently tugged on her doctor’s coat. Zhang Fan then said to Professor Chang, “There’s no need for you to criticize our superintendent’s management ability. Maybe you’ll have the right to do so if you become a superintendent yourself. Right now, we’re discussing this patient’s particular situation. Our general surgery director’s suggestion to surgically remove the tumor completely is the best solution. Even if you don’t know how to perform such a surgery, it doesn’t mean that others don’t know how to perform it!”

“Hmph!” Professor Chang couldn’t be bothered with Zhang Fan! If the superintendent or a director had said such a thing, Professor Chang would have instantly retorted, but as for a low-ranking doctor like Zhang Fan, Professor Chang simply ignored him. “If you guys aren’t going to have interventional embolism performed for the patient, then pay for my consultation fee and purchase an airplane ticket for me. I’ll be leaving right now.”

“Only you would perform an interventional embolism surgery. We’ll be doing complete surgical removal of the tumor,” Zhang Fan stated.

Director Zhao Quanping of general surgery turned to look at Zhang Fan without saying anything. Zhao Quanping would support anything that Zhang Fan said right now. He would be happy as long as Professor Chang could be angered into leaving. Zhao Quanping could always ask for a professor from Dee University Affiliated Hospital to come perform the surgery!

“Superintendent Ouyang, should I be phoning your bosses and informing them that the management at a Class A hospital is so terrible?” Since Professor Chang was a professor at a provincial tumor hospital, it wasn’t strange for him to know some government leaders.

“It’s your business whether you phone them or not. However, we will definitely remove the tumor completely! So what if we’re a small Class A hospital? Does that mean that our doctors must be worse than your doctors? I don’t think that’s the case?” Zhang Fan didn’t insult Professor Chang’s hospital, sticking only to insulting Professor Chang’s skills.

This really infuriated Professor Chang. “Just what department are you from? Do you even have a medical license yet? Can you even understand this CT scan? This is a hospital, not a supermarket. You’ll have to pay a price for spouting such rubbish. Do you understand!? Who’s your teaching doctor? Just how did they teach you?”

Zhang Fan recalled a famous retort and used it here. “It’s not like you’re from the Bureau of Health. You think it’s any of your business?”