Chapter 820: [(820)] Doctors should have compassion Chapter 820: [(820)] Doctors should have compassion President Wu gestured for everyone to be calm and said to Dai Ronghong, “Doctor Dai, you are friends with the patient’s family. Dr. Tao had previously called you because they could no longer communicate with the family and could only go through you. You said you also called her mother, but there was no follow-up.”
“Yes,” Dai Ronghong lifted her head and responded to President Wu, “I don’t understand why she is being so stubborn. I have talked to her a few times about her daughter’s illness.”
“I ask you, Doctor Dai, what exactly did you tell her about her daughter’s illness?” Director Tang questioned her, “Did you tell her that if she had pancreatic cancer she was going to die, that there was no hope?”
“As a doctor, how dare I say that a patient has absolutely no hope? I only told her to have confidence in our hospital’s doctors. Dr. Tao has the capability, otherwise, he wouldn’t have diagnosed your daughter’s disease. As for how to treat it and how long she could live, we must take it step by step. Which doctor would dare give a definite promise? Whether she went to consult other hospitals’ doctors after hearing my words, I’m not sure. It’s possible that someone else told her that the general prognosis for pancreatic cancer is not living more than two years. She did ask me whether it was true that one with pancreatic cancer couldn’t live more than two years. I didn’t tell her it was certain she couldn’t live past two years.”
The other doctors listening felt like she wasn’t in the wrong. If the patient’s family wants to be unreasonable, what can the doctor do?
Everyone turned around and saw Cao Yong drumming his fingers on the table towards Dai Ronghong.
“Doctor Dai, since the patient was admitted to the hospital, have you visited her?” he asked.
Dai Ronghong hesitated at Cao Yong’s question, “This–”
“You are friends with her parents, but you haven’t visited the patient. It seems that in your eyes, you did a favor because of your relationship with her parents. The problem is, you are a doctor, not a broker.”
Cao Yong’s words were sharp. A doctor isn’t a middleman making deals. After referring a colleague to treat the patient, you can’t just wash your hands of it and become completely indifferent. Showing concern is a demonstration of a doctor’s compassion.
“I cared,” said Dai Ronghong. How could she not care if she even took Tao Zhijie’s call again?
“Have you truly made an effort for this? Her parents could brush you off over the phone, but if you cared even slightly for the patient, you could have visited their home. It wouldn’t be appropriate for Dr. Tao to go, but it would be for you.”
“Uh-huh.” The other doctors present realized Cao Yong had a point and nodded in agreement. In fact, on this matter, the doctors could indeed make a bit more effort.
Dai Ronghong hung her head as if in deep thought, reflecting on herself, “Regarding the issues Dr. Cao mentioned, I admit, I may not have considered them carefully enough. For one, I am quite busy with work, so I hadn’t thought about visiting their home; I figured we should first focus on getting the patient treated.”
“You only heard half of what Dr. Cao said, Doctor Dai,” Director Tang intervened, “He was saying that while you were at the hospital, you should have come to visit this patient. Didn’t Dr. Tao tell you over the phone? She felt very afraid in the hospital without any family members visiting her. You are her mother’s friend and you’re quite familiar with her.”
Dai Ronghong defended herself, “I am friends with her parents, and maybe there’s a generational gap, so I’m not that close to young people like their daughter.”
“I think you need to start reconsidering this matter from General Surgery Department Two,” said Cao Yong.
Since the incident had some connection with General Surgery Department Two, a group of doctors from that department were sitting in the corner of the conference room. Shen Jinghui was at a loss for words. Initially, General Surgery Department Two took in this patient at Dai Ronghong’s request. After the patient was discharged following a check-up, no one expected that more than two months later, she would be diagnosed with the most difficult-to-detect pancreatic cancer.