Chapter 296: Chapter 296

Back at the Health Clinic, looking at the empty hall, Du Heng immediately thought of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic at Provincial First Hospital.

Even if they were struggling, their bed vacancy rate was likely higher than his own. However, the sheer volume of their outpatients, along with those receiving acupuncture and massage, was enough to make Du Heng drool.

He went upstairs to find Wu Buwei, who was still administering treatments. Du Heng took over the acupuncture duties, letting Wu Buwei go read instead.

And that took more than two hours.

When he returned to his office, Du Heng actually felt a bit of soreness and fatigue in his hands.

He stretched a bit, planning to get a glass of water and rest for a moment, when there was an unexpected knock on his office door. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱

The new gynecologist, Huo Yinhua, smiled and walked in. "Dean, I have something to consult you about."

Du Heng waved his hand. "No need for formalities, I don’t stand on ceremony. Just sit down and talk."

The two sat down, and Huo Yinhua tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Dean, in that case, I’ll be direct."

Du Heng smiled. "We’re all colleagues here; just say what’s on your mind."

"Dean, I’ve inspected our hospital’s operating room, and I find it too outdated. If we perform routine surgeries, the risk of infection will be very high. I suggest we upgrade the operating room. What do you think?"

Huo Yinhua was direct, but Du Heng’s smile vanished as he listened.

Upgrade the operating room? What a joke.

Even the current operating room at the Health Clinic had been specially approved by the Bureau when the building was constructed. The Health Clinic itself had no financial capacity to upgrade or renovate it.

However, for minor procedures like suturing, it was more than adequate.

Du Heng took a deep breath and tentatively asked Huo Yinhua, "Dr. Huo, are you planning to perform surgery in there?"

"I do plan to," Huo Yinhua looked at Du Heng steadily and answered with a very determined tone.

Du Heng swallowed. "What surgeries can you perform, or rather, what surgeries are you planning to perform?"

"Delivering babies, cesarean section, excision of vulvovaginal masses, vulvar biopsy, marsupialization of Bartholin’s gland cyst, cervical dilation surgery, artificial abortion surgery, medical abortion surgery, curettage surgery—I can do all of these," Huo Yinhua said confidently.

Du Heng’s jaw dropped; he thought Huo Yinhua was bluffing.

If she were really that skilled, would she still be working at the District Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital? Apart from diagnosing abnormal vaginal discharge and distributing contraception, when had the District Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital ever possessed such advanced capabilities? Moreover, if she truly knew how to do these things, how could she have ended up in his Health Clinic?

In an instant, Du Heng’s estimation of Huo Yinhua plummeted.

Some of these were indeed minor gynecological procedures, but they were definitely not things the District Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital could have taught her. He even suspected Huo Yinhua might be a half-baked practitioner, knowing only half of what she claimed. Even if she knew how to perform these surgeries, hadn’t she considered whether she could complete them all by herself? Delivering babies and inducing labor were manageable; one person with two nurses could handle those. But where did she get the nerve to say she could perform a cesarean section? Setting other issues aside, a cesarean section absolutely requires anesthesia, and administering anesthesia demands specialized training. Did she have that?

Du Heng suddenly lost the desire to continue the conversation. However, seeing Huo Yinhua’s wide eyes, he still asked, "Dr. Huo, you should know that our Health Clinic has no specialized anesthetists, and no one here has received specific training for it. So, if you want to perform these surgeries, have you received any training in anesthesia?"

Huo Yinhua’s eyes wavered slightly. "No, but I’m currently at the primary practice level, so I can directly administer local anesthesia."

Du Heng took a breath. "Here’s the situation, Dr. Huo. Our Health Clinic isn’t doing well financially at the moment, and the higher authorities won’t allocate special funds to upgrade the operating room. Therefore, for now, our Obstetrics and Gynecology Department will only provide medicinal treatments and will not perform surgical procedures. Of course, if a delivery is needed, a smooth delivery is permissible, but surgeries like cesarean sections are absolutely forbidden. If such a case arises, the patient must be transferred to a higher-level hospital."

Someone at the primary practice level daring to claim she could perform a cesarean section? How would she handle surgical issues like anesthesia, blood transfusions, infusion, suture, and infection prevention? He now even doubted if her ability to treat common gynecological conditions was up to the primary practice standard.

Huo Yinhua was a bit dumbfounded. Dazed by Du Heng’s words, she stared at him blankly.

"If there’s nothing else, Dr. Huo, you can get back to your work. I still have some things to attend to."

With that, Du Heng rose and returned to his office desk. He began to busy himself with his work, not sparing Huo Yinhua another glance.

Huo Yinhua, confused by the situation, could only leave.

After Huo Yinhua left, Du Heng stopped pretending to be busy. With his hands crossed on his lap, he looked at the phone on the table, hesitating.

Finally, Du Heng picked up the phone.

"Director An, there’s something I’d like to consult you about."

"Doctor Huo Yinhua, who was transferred last week—her personnel file hasn’t arrived yet, so I just wanted to ask about her background."

"What’s wrong? Has something happened?"

"No, I’m just asking."

An Chunhui, on the other end, paused for a moment. "Huo Yinhua was previously a doctor at the Provincial Women and Children’s Hospital. Three years ago, she was involved in a medical accident due to an improper procedure. To resolve the issue, she was transferred to the District Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital."