Chapter 298: Chapter 298

(Thanks to book friend 20191123092721288 for the rewards and encouragement; thanks to 160519125622570, Daohe Lord Luofeng, Everyday Legend, Selfless999, Leshi for the monthly tickets and encouragement)

"Things really are piling up. Old Qin has been in this game for a lifetime, but he’s really in hot water this time," Shi Lei sighed.

"Ah... I was just discussing this with everyone the other day. I didn’t expect it to land on Old Qin. If they can’t get at the hospital, they’ll turn around and go after Old Qin," Liu Banxia responded.

"Although I do find him quite annoying, this kind of thing happening to anyone isn’t pleasant. We’ve had these situations too. It’s increasingly difficult to be a doctor nowadays."

"Qi Wentai probably won’t be able to focus on work today. I might even be called to give a statement later. Please help keep an extra eye on things in the Emergency Department."

"By the way, we’re moving on the 9th, you know that, right? Once the house is confirmed, let me know, and I’ll call Old Qiu directly. Let’s get this sorted out quickly; I’m getting anxious for you."

Shi Lei looked at him helplessly. "How is your patient’s dog adapting with the Qiu family?"

"The dog is adjusting pretty well. It was a bit disoriented at first in the new environment, but the Qiu family provides great food. They fed it some meat, and now it’s playing with Doudou," Liu Banxia replied with a smile.

"Originally, I wanted to witness the handover for them. But then I started feeling too upset, so I didn’t go. That Lu Gang... I feel so heartbroken whenever I see him."

Shi Lei patted his shoulder and then went directly to attend to patients.

"President Liu, President Liu, do you reckon the hospital will make a move this time?" Wang Chao leaned in and asked.

"You, all you think about is mulling over all sorts of wild ideas. The science popularization campaign is going to be elevated to a new level, and you’ll be selected as our Emergency Department’s liaison," Liu Banxia said.

"This time, a hospital administrator is personally in charge of this. Other departments in the hospital will likely have to contribute personnel too. It will probably be doctors specializing in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. You should get ready; don’t show any weakness." Fresh chapters posted on 𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚕·𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚎·𝚗𝚎𝚝

"Hehe, I knew President Liu was the best! Following President Liu’s lead guarantees we’ll be well taken care of," Wang Chao beamed.

"President Liu, rest assured, my professional skills won’t get rusty either. I’m doing this to give my family some peace of mind, to prove that their son has a very promising future in the Emergency Department, so they’ll stop nagging me."

"I understand your ’struggles,’ but those of us in my position don’t get to ’enjoy’ such things. When working in a hospital, professional competence is the real foundation. As long as you understand that, you’ll be fine," Liu Banxia replied with a smile.

"You don’t need to worry about surgical matters either. I’ve already discussed it with Dr. Shi and Dr. Wei. For non-emergency major surgeries, they will give preference to you and Qi Wentai."

"Sigh... President Liu, I should be happy to hear this. But instead of feeling happy, I just feel a bit sour inside," Wang Chao said, his face crestfallen.

"We all work under the same roof, so why is there such a huge gap between people? Look at the heights you’ve reached; we can only look up in awe. How about an extra chicken leg for lunch?"

"You’re always joking around. Everyone says I’m the one who jokes too much, but you’re the biggest joker of all," Liu Banxia said helplessly.

We’ve talked about this before. Wang Chao’s family is so resourceful, which is why he has these ’happy problems.’ My situation is different; my problems are the real kind.

Upstairs, he checked on Han again, whose condition had improved significantly today. The couple expressed their immense gratitude to Liu Banxia; after all, Han had narrowly escaped death.

Before he even reached downstairs, he received a call. The Medical Affairs Department needed to understand some details about the recent incident. It was expected; after all, he was directly involved and also the chief resident.

"Dr. Liu, please don’t feel burdened. We’ve called you in today to get a detailed understanding of the patient’s condition last night," Chen from the Medical Affairs Department greeted him warmly.

"I understand. After all, no one wants to be involved in such a situation. This family seems intent on making unreasonable trouble; they’re even more formidable than the last bunch I dealt with," Liu Banxia responded with a smile, nodding.

"I’ve organized the medical records. They include not only the admission records from the Emergency Department but also detailed notes on the patient’s condition during their night in the ICU. I won’t elaborate further. Please, take a look, and if there’s anything specific you need to know, just ask me directly."

"Dr. Liu, can you recall if Director Qin ever prescribed medication for patients in the Emergency Department without conducting a detailed examination first?" Chen asked.

Liu Banxia understood immediately. So, the Medical Affairs Department got wind of this quite quickly too. They probably didn’t want to damage the Second Hospital’s reputation too much, so they might be looking to shift the focus of the blame.

"Whether that situation ever occurred, I’m not entirely sure," Liu Banxia said.

"Director Qin didn’t actually see patients in the Emergency Department all that often. And although I’ve worked in the Emergency Department for a long time, my tenure has mostly been in the more recent period."

"Regarding this incident, let me offer my perspective. First, as to what the primary cause of the patient’s toxic epidermal necrolysis is, without an autopsy, we can only speculate that it was metronidazole."

"In past cases, intravenous drips of metronidazole have caused such reactions. However, whether this was the cause for this particular patient, we really cannot determine definitively."

"I’ve been working on the front lines seeing patients for quite some time now, and I’ve also been chief resident for a long while, so I’ve encountered a wide variety of patients. Some patients don’t tell the complete truth; some deliberately conceal things, while others unintentionally omit details."

"Secondly, even if we operate on the assumption that the patient’s adverse drug reaction was indeed caused by metronidazole, I believe that from any standpoint, it has nothing to do with our hospital."

"According to his medical records, his last visit was a very long time ago. Even if the patient’s family tries to make an issue out of diverticulitis, it’s completely irrelevant. Director Qin’s diagnosis, as reflected in the medical records, is entirely correct. You couldn’t find fault with it anywhere."

"Director Qin and I have had our disagreements in the past, but I believe one should assess the matter on its own merits. Our hospital must stand its ground. Throughout the entire admission and treatment process, I made no errors, and no errors were made during the medical intervention."

"Therefore, I hope the hospital will not offer any compensation, not even compensation offered on humanitarian grounds. The fees for the emergency rescue efforts must still be collected."

"Because if our hospital provides even a penny of compensation or aid, it implies, in a sense, that our Emergency Department made some kind of mistake during the admission and treatment process."

Chen’s expression became a bit uneasy. He nodded awkwardly. "Dr. Liu, that was essentially our thinking as well. However, while the patient’s family isn’t causing disturbances within the hospital, they’ve hung banners outside, which has already affected our hospital."

Liu Banxia chuckled. "So what? We should take up the weapon of the law. That should constitute defamation or slander, shouldn’t it? We can sympathize with the patient’s family, but we cannot indulge their behavior."

"Didn’t I take up the weapon of the law in my last incident? And what was the result? They had to compensate me and publish an apology in the newspapers. The money doesn’t matter; the crucial thing is that the principle of the matter must be thoroughly clarified."

"Although I haven’t reported this to Director Zhou yet, knowing his personality, he would also insist on absolute clarity."

"Our Emergency Department is about to transition into an Emergency Center. Even if it’s just a trial operation, we need to have our own bottom line to uphold. If a medical dispute arises due to our error, we will certainly hold the responsible person accountable."

"We won’t choose to paper over the cracks just to avoid trouble. Doing so might seem to reduce immediate hassle, but it would damage the reputation of our Second Hospital. People would learn that the Second Hospital is an easy mark for staged accidents and extortion."

"That’s roughly my view. After all, the patient was admitted through our Emergency Department. And as the current chief resident of the Emergency Department, I am in a position to express the Emergency Department’s views."

Chen nodded. "Dr. Liu, thank you. This will make our work much easier. Our Medical Affairs Department doesn’t have it easy either; we have so many factors to consider. Thank you for your cooperation. Shall we leave it at that for now then?"

"Alright. You can call me anytime to consult about the situation. If there’s anything in the medical records you don’t understand, that’s fine; I can come over and explain it," Liu Banxia said enthusiastically.

"Thank you, Dr. Liu. If every doctor could cooperate with our work , we’d all have a much easier time. Let me see you out," Chen said, his face also full of enthusiasm.

As Liu Banxia walked out of the Medical Affairs Department, a faint smile played on his lips, but inwardly, he was fuming. I’ve poured out my heart, clear as the moon, but alas, the moon seems to have shone straight into a stinking gutter.

When he first arrived, he thought the Medical Affairs Department intended to deflect the blame. He wouldn’t kick Qin Hai when he was down. He wasn’t clear on how Qin Hai had actually communicated with the patient’s family.

But on further reflection, that didn’t seem right. Old Qin had previously managed to get transferred into the Medical Affairs Department, which proved he had personal connections there. At this critical juncture, could the Medical Affairs Department really divert the attention of the patient’s family?

They probably called him over hoping he’d say something disparaging about Qin Hai, which would then smoothly lead to blaming the Emergency Department. That way, they could shift the blame for this incident onto the entire Emergency Department.

After all, Qin Hai was the director of the Emergency Department at the time. While this approach might seem to escalate the issue, it would also significantly lessen Qin Hai’s personal responsibility.

Trying to pass the buck to us? Not a chance. I have to shut that down immediately.

I won’t kick Qin Hai while he’s down, but they shouldn’t expect to pin this on the Emergency Department. Even though Qin Hai would also bear some responsibility, the entire blame would ultimately be laid at the Emergency Department’s door.

Their likely strategy is to use this narrative to placate the patient’s family, then pay out tens of thousands of yuan in compensation, and the matter would be quietly swept under the rug.

Moreover, a compensation of tens of thousands of yuan is trivial for a large hospital like the Second Hospital; such an expense can easily be absorbed and hidden within the accounts.

Because the crux of this matter is that the patient’s family is looking to get some money, not genuinely seeking justice for the patient. They themselves are fully aware of the patient’s actual condition; the hospital is fundamentally not at fault.

Old Qin certainly acted quickly, managing to smooth over all the necessary connections in such a short period.