As soon as the words left her mouth, Zhang Jinlian knew she had caused trouble.
If what she said came true, regardless of whether Du Heng could cure the pediatric patient today, as long as the pediatric patient's family filed a complaint or a lawsuit, it would be a sure win for them.
Treating a patient using a simple and safe method is one thing, but deliberately choosing a harmful method is another; if they sued, it would undoubtedly be classified as a medical accident.
A light punishment might involve a fine of tens or hundreds of thousands of yuan, while a severe one could mean the revocation of his practice qualification.
Although Zhang Jinlian understood this, she had no intention of retracting her statement. Instead, she looked at Du Heng provocatively.
After all, no matter what, I'm not wrong, she thought. And I have an authorized job; he can't do anything to me.
Wang Zhenzhen glared angrily at Zhang Jinlian, never imagining this woman could be so despicable.
Du Heng was only 27 and was at a time when his career was on the rise. How could she do this to him? How is Du Heng supposed to move on from this? No matter what, we all work in the same unit; there's no need to push someone to their breaking point, is there?
Wang Zhenzhen was furious, but she restrained herself. She hadn't studied medicine and didn't know what to say, fearing that if she, an outsider, said too much, it would only be more detrimental to Du Heng.
Li Qingde felt the same; he was already seething with anger.
This woman isn't just trying to destroy Du Heng; she's trying to cut off my future options too! After all, I was just helping Du Heng control the pediatric patient's movements. If Du Heng gets into trouble, as a leader and participant, I won't be able to escape responsibility either. Although my punishment wouldn't be as severe as Du Heng's, my chances of being rotated to other Health Clinics and continuing as a Dean would be completely gone.
Especially when he saw the pediatric patient's mother, whose expression had become uncertain, the fury in Li Qingde's heart blazed even stronger.
I'm determined, he resolved. Even if it means my own downfall, I'll drag this woman down with me. What a damn piece of trash!
In contrast, Du Heng, the one at the center of it all, appeared remarkably calm.
He looked at Zhang Jinlian as if she were a complete moron.
Du Heng regarded Zhang Jinlian with a mocking smile. Before she could interject, he spoke, "Dr. Zhang, if you don't understand something, don't speak out of turn. If you mislead the pediatric patient's mother into making incorrect treatment decisions, you will be held legally responsible."
Zhang Jinlian's eyebrows twitched. He's just making a desperate struggle, she thought, not even bothering to refute him.
Everyone else looked at Du Heng doubtfully, hoping he could genuinely offer a rebuttal.
Especially the pediatric patient's mother; she wasn't sure what to think, but she also looked at Du Heng.
Du Heng smiled faintly, his demeanor serene. "First, alcohol sponging is acceptable for adults, but not for children, especially those under one year old, as it can cause alcohol poisoning and skin damage. Therefore, I did not opt for alcohol sponging. Do you understand?"
Zhang Jinlian's expression shifted. She was an experienced doctor, but due to her work environment and her own lack of motivation, she didn't actually know the appropriate patient population for alcohol cooling, or perhaps she'd never paid attention to it.
"Humph, what about cold water sponging then?"
"Heh." Du Heng looked at Zhang Jinlian with a touch of helplessness. How has she managed to be a doctor here for almost twenty years without being beaten to death by patients? "The pediatric patient has a high fever of 39.1 degrees Celsius. Do you think an infant can withstand sudden cold water cooling? The abrupt change in temperature could trigger other conditions. Can you bear that responsibility? For the same reason, adults can tolerate it, but such a young child cannot, or it must be used with extreme caution."
"Exactly! Xiao Du made a very good point. As doctors, we must be meticulous and rule out all potential problems." Upon hearing Du Heng's explanation, Li Qingde was so relieved he almost shouted. I'm safe now! I can continue to be the Dean!
However, his gaze towards Zhang Jinlian remained icy.
Wang Zhenzhen let out a long sigh, looking at Du Heng with relief. Even the pediatric patient's mother once again regarded him with an expression of gratitude.
Perhaps, in her heart, treating her child and ensuring their health was more important.
But Du Heng was the only one who was unhappy; instead, he felt a deep sense of sorrow. For someone with Zhang Jinlian's level of skill to have worked at the Health Clinic for twenty years, seeing villagers daily... is this fortunate or unfortunate for them? It also exposed the dire state of grassroots healthcare. If the Health Clinic could actually develop with this standard of medical care, that truly would be a frightening prospect.
Zhang Jinlian's face turned green. She had thought of the methods, but she hadn't considered the patient's specific characteristics!
Du Heng continued, "Actually, there's an even better method right now: a warm water bath. However, we clearly don't have the facilities for that. And if we were to use warm towel compresses, the effect wouldn't be as good as acupuncture. The longer the delay, the more harm it would cause the pediatric patient."
"Senior Brother, the medicine is here."
Just as Du Heng finished speaking, Wu Buwei appeared at the doorway, holding a cup.
When Wu Buwei saw the uneasy expressions on everyone in the room, his steps faltered. "Senior Brother... the medicine."
"Give it to me." Then, Du Heng turned to Zhang Jinlian and said, "If there's nothing else, please leave. You're taking up quite a bit of space, and the patient needs air. Your standing there isn't helping."
Zhang Jinlian's face darkened instantly. Seeing that no one in the room spoke up for her, she could only leave in disgrace.
Du Heng didn't pursue the matter further, just offering a faint smile. Someone like her wasn't even qualified to be his opponent.
"Did you bring the child's baby bottle?"
"No."
"Then we'll have to use a spoon."
Du Heng handed the decoction medicine back to Wu Buwei. "Buwei, take them upstairs and find a bed for the child to lie on. It's still a bit warm to be holding him like this."
He turned to Wang Zhenzhen with a smile. "Wang, could you please handle the admission procedures for the child? Once the fever subsides, we still need to check for other issues."
The child's mother suddenly grew anxious. "Doctor, are there other problems with my child?"
"Besides the high fever, the child might also have pneumonia. However, I need to wait for the fever to go down and examine him again to be sure. Please take the child upstairs first, then go complete the admission paperwork. As for administering the medicine, Dr. Wu can do it."
"No, no, it's fine, I can feed him myself," the child's mother said quickly.
Du Heng didn't insist. He just asked Wu Buwei to quickly lead them upstairs; the medicine was getting cold, which wasn't ideal. But then he added, "Once you're upstairs, find a warm towel to apply to the child."
"Got it, Senior Brother."
Watching the pediatric patient's mother follow Wu Buwei out, Li Qingde nodded to Du Heng and also left. I need to think about how to deal with Zhang Jinlian.
Wang Zhenzhen gave Du Heng a thumbs-up from behind and quickly followed them out; she still needed to help the pediatric patient with the hospitalization procedures.
Once everyone had departed, Du Heng smiled faintly, though it was unclear at what.
Picking up the needle tool kit he had set aside, he also walked out the door.
His work wasn't finished yet; there was still a facial paralysis patient waiting for his treatment.