Never-ending challenge (3)
“It’s a reward and paid vacation.”
According to Parker’s explanation, the reward is five thousand dollars and the paid vacation is 9 nights and 10 days.
Among them, they added that they would be able to use vacation days in increments of several days.
“Of course, you are the recipient of this month’s excellent employee award. By the way, we will contact a broadcasting station soon to get an interview and your article will be published a lot. How about that?”
“thank you.”
Choi Ki-seok’s answer was extremely dry.
In fact, money and reward vacations were not very attractive rewards to him.
My bank account was overflowing with money to the point where it was rotting, and even if I had a vacation, I couldn’t afford to rest.
“If you don’t mind, I would like to revise the Code Black guidelines soon. I read the guidelines after the incident, but it was too vague and not of much help to the staff.”
“That case is already in progress. If Code Black occurs again, Mr. Choi will be able to be active. He will become an emergency room star once more.”
Parker chuckled.
As silence continued for a moment, Choi Ki-seok began to cry.
“Before I leave, I want to tell you something.”
“say it.”
“I know that the core value of Meijo and MHC is patient-centered. However, I am curious whether the recent project promoted by the vice hospital director is really for the benefit of patients.”
Parker’s core projects are Cruise health checkup and outpatient treatment robot Sherlock.
These are two things.
Coincidentally, these were focused on money rather than patients.
“That’s amateurish thinking. Do you really think my business has nothing to do with patients?”
There was a sharp light in Parker’s eyes.
“Let’s leave the medical robot for later and look at the cruise business first. Contrary to what you think, the cruise business is the ultimate patient-centered project. Do you know why?”
“… Is
V.I.P
patient-centered?”
“Bingo! It’s good that Mr. Choi is quick-witted. The trend in the medical field these days is to attract patients with money. So, a
project to attract V.I.P patients is absolutely necessary. If anything, it’s too late now.
”
“….”
“Outpatient treatment robots are a little more indirect. By lowering the doctor’s labor costs, the costs incurred will be returned to the patient as a service. Well, it can be seen as similar to a trickle-down effect.”
“Is it because of my lack of understanding? The vice hospital director’s words don’t make much sense to me.”
Choi Ki-seok hid his expression and continued speaking.
“As the cruise business progresses, there will inevitably be a personnel gap. As a result, the quality of care for outpatients and inpatients at MHC is likely to decline.”
“….” ”
I think the problem is more serious in the outpatient robot case. You mentioned a trickle-down effect, but can the saved labor costs of doctors really be used for patients? Do you have a specific agenda for patients?”
Ki-Seok Choi continued speaking rapidly, and Parker just listened to his story without answering.
“So you don’t like my business?”
“I think we need to think a little more about it.”
“No. There’s no need to worry.”
Parker said clearly.
“The higher-ups, including me, will be the ones to worry about. The people below just have to follow. Do you understand?”
“…All right.”
“Stop it.”
At Parker’s gesture, Choi Ki-seok left the office.
Eventually, Parker got up from the sofa and looked out from the window.
“I was just wondering, but it turned out to be me.”
* * *
After finishing his meeting with Parker, Choi Ki-seok hurried to the outpatient clinic.
Fortunately, there were no patients waiting.
As mentioned earlier, this is because Yasada treated his patients instead.
“Dr. Choi. Shall we start the treatment?”
“Yes. Please.”
Ki-seok Choi finished talking with the nurse and sat down in the treatment chair.
This is the second outpatient treatment performed at MHC.
Still, having experienced it once, I felt more at ease than before.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
When I heard a knock on the door telling me to come in, a sick-looking man sat down in the examination chair.
The man’s name is Jax.
Her skin was as white as jade, but her body was very thin.
To exaggerate it a bit, I even got the illusion that the bones of the skull were barely moving.
“Nice to meet you. Jax, what’s bothering you here?”
“I’ve been bleeding every time I cough since two days ago.”
“What color is the blood you vomit?”
“It’s red and mixed with phlegm. I’m worried because the amount of blood I’m vomiting increases as the days go by. Cough, cough!”
Jax coughs just then.
Ki-Seok Choi asked for understanding and examined Jax’s hands.
As he said, there was phlegm and red blood mixed together.
“Here’s some tissues. You can also use hand sanitizer.”
“Ah, yes. But, sir, am I really okay? Is it possible that I have cancer or something…” “
I think we need to get tested first. I’ll check the results of the chest X-ray and blood test and see you again.”
“All right.”
Choi Ki-seok watched Jax leaving the treatment room.
There are many causes of hemoptysis, and in his case, he was suffering from infectious hemoptysis.
After examining it through the eyes of Hippocrates, bronchiectasis came to mind as a diagnosis.
I’m glad it’s not a major illness.
After Jax left, a female patient came in.
The patient’s name is Sylvie.
Sylvie is a pregnant woman in her 20th week of pregnancy.
While receiving outpatient obstetrics and gynecology treatment, an abnormality was discovered on an ultrasound, so I was referred to a thoracic surgeon.
‘There are cases like this in the world.’
His face gradually distorted as he checked the ultrasound results.
There was nothing wrong with Sylvie, but there was a big problem with the child inside her.
This is because the fetus suffered from congenital aortic valve stenosis.
In this case, there was no need to use the Eye of Hippocrates.
Examination reveals a narrow opening in a thick heart valve.
Above all, the dome-shaped aortic valve is the biggest evidence.
“Dr. Choi. The obstetric surgeon said my child has a heart problem. What should I do now?”
Sylvie stroked her swollen belly with a worried expression.
‘Should I say that my child will need heart valve surgery after birth?’
His mind was overflowing with all kinds of thoughts.
Because this was my first experience, I couldn’t give an easy answer.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Can you please wait just a moment? I have an urgent call.”
Choi Ki-seok made a suitable excuse and made a phone call after leaving the clinic.
“Yes, Professor. This is Kiseok.”
[What’s going on?]
“A pregnant woman came to see an outpatient clinic. As a result of the ultrasound, it was confirmed that the fetus was suffering from congenital aortic valve stenosis. I didn’t know what to do…” [Did I catch the
case correctly?]
Katarina’s tone There was a hint of mischief.
[Tell them the diagnosis and hospitalize them. Because the child’s heart will be repaired while hospitalized.]
“Aren’t you saying it’s not after birth? Are you treating it while you’re pregnant?”
Choi Ki-seok asked back in surprise.
Touching the heart valve of a fetus in the mother’s womb, not the newborn…
I wondered if such a thing was possible.
[It’s possible, so don’t worry. I’m going into surgery right now, so we’ll talk about the details later.]
“I understand.”
Choi Ki-seok hung up the phone and returned to the treatment room.
“I’m sorry. You’ve waited a long time. After testing, it was discovered that the fetus has aortic valve stenosis. The patient needs to be hospitalized for treatment.”
“Is there really something wrong with my child’s heart?”
“Unfortunately, that is the case.”
Choi Ki-seok persuaded Silbi well and had her hospitalized.
Afterwards, during my long-awaited free time, I looked back on this case while drinking coffee.
Aortic valve treatment performed on a fetus…
I was already curious about what Katarina was thinking.
Additionally, I realized that I still have a lot to learn.
“Doctor. Please pay special attention to this patient.”
The outpatient nurse came into the treatment room before the patient and spoke.
“The patient and guardian came from India. The child is receiving support from the Indian government, but his condition is not serious.”
“Okay. Please wait three minutes and then let me in.”
Choi Ki-seok began looking at the medical records registered in advance by the patient.
His face becomes increasingly darker.
It almost makes you wonder if the concept of outpatient treatment today is hardship.
After a while, there was a knock on the door and the patient and guardian took their seats.
The patient’s name is Rahul and the couple’s names are Sanjay and Rai.
“Doctor. Hello.”
Sanjay and Rai bowed their heads.
The Indian accent was awkward, but it wasn’t that difficult to understand.
“Rahul is in a lot of pain. He was treated in India and they said it was dilated cardiomyopathy.”
“I also checked. Rahul’s diagnosis is dilated cardiomyopathy, but… let’s do a simple test first.”
Choi Ki-seok approached Rahul and listened to heart and lung sounds with a stethoscope. Then, they interviewed the couple to find out more about Rahul’s condition.
“Teacher. How will the treatment work?”
Rai continued speaking, blinking his big eyes.
“Actually, I went to James Hopkins Hospital before coming to MHC, but they said there was nothing they could do and recommended MHC.”
“…I see.”
Choi Ki-seok’s face was slightly distorted.
Rahul suffers from dilated cardiomyopathy.
This is a disease in which problems occur in the heart muscle due to various reasons, and as these problems become deeper, they develop into heart failure.
In Rahul’s case, there was no obvious cause for cardiomyopathy.
If the cause is clear, such as a problem with the coronary artery or aorta, it can be treated, but this is not possible.
In this case, there was no other treatment other than heart transplant.
‘The intention is so obvious.’
Choi Ki-seok gritted his teeth as he remembered the James Hopkins Heart Clinic.
Now is the EOB (Evaluation Of Best heart clinic) period.
That is why we did not accept patients like Rahul who had a high risk of death during surgery.
Finding a donor for a pediatric heart transplant is no different from finding a star in the sky.
There was a high possibility that patients would die while waiting for a transplant.
The risks of pediatric heart transplantation themselves were very high.
“For now, a heart transplant is the only treatment. First, we will hospitalize Rahul and stabilize his condition. Then, when a donor appears, we will perform a heart transplant.”
“i look forward to.”
The couple bowed their heads at the same time, and Choi Ki-seok watched them with a bitter taste in his mouth.
Dilated cardiomyopathy and pediatric heart transplant…
that afternoon.
After completing outpatient treatment, Choi Ki-seok immediately visited the thoracic surgery department.
“Wow. A new tube hero has arrived?”
“Mr. Choi, have you seen the video?”
Charles and Emma stared at him with shining eyes, and Choi Ki-seok sat across from Charles.
“I even saw Deputy Hospital Director Parker because of that.”
“You took care of something for me?”
“Rewards and paid vacation.”
“I’m jealous. I’m jealous. I can’t believe I got a reward for being a new tube star…”
Charles playfully touched his side with his elbow.
After a moment of silence, Emma opened her mouth.
“They say a thoracic surgeon is coming from Mayjo tomorrow. “On behalf of Mr. Wang and another resident who went to James Hopkins.”
“Good. “Already, there will be a shortage of people to support the cruise.”
“I wish someone trustworthy would come. Do you know who is coming?”
“I don’t know.”
Emma shook her head.
Grumble.
The door to the medical room opened and Katharina came in.
“Everyone gathered?”
“Professor! I have a question about a case of fetal aortic valve stenosis. “There is.”
“I’m still here to talk about that.”
Katarina smiled and sat across from Choi Ki-seok.
