Wang Zhengyan,helping patients recover without unnecessary costs

(chinadaily.com.cn)

Updated: 2014-05-27

Helping patients recover without unnecessary costs

Wang Zhengyan is busier after retirement. Now, she spends six and a half days every week doing outpatient services, trekking among Wuhan’s Jinqiao community health service center, Wuhan’s Hankou Hospital and the hospital’s new branch. She also uses her spare time to go door to door, delivering heath services and drugs to local people with her staff.

At 58 years old, Wang has been practicing medicine for 28 years. She insists on the belief of helping patients recover without unnecessary costs. None of her prescriptions exceeds 80 Yuan ($12.84), and her cheapest prescription cost less than 1 yuan.

“I won’t deal out expensive and unnecessary drugs to community residents, and I only consider what’s good for my patients’ health and what they can afford,” said Wang. “Besides, the expensive drugs may undermine patients’adherence and not do good to improve their health.”

The public is expecting more from me, and I feel more pressure coming in, said Wang. “Every day I tell myself to avoid mistakes, and leave no stains on my reputation.”

Wang often insists on seeing patients even when she’s under the weather.

At the moment, there are 57 offices named after her, and many residents mistakenly think that she is going to be in every office. Wang said that she is glad that so many offices have been opened, because they represent an idea. Wang believes that more doctors will do a better job.

Many patients are Wang’s fans because they think she stands on their best interest at heart and they feel close to her.

 “It takes at least 15 minutes for my session every time, but she always patiently hears me out, and tells me about my problems what drugs I should take and what I should pay attention to, which really sets my mind at ease,” said Wang Yuzheng, a patient.

According to Wang’s colleagues, there are basically three kinds of patients who seek Wang’s help: those who don’t know what their problems are, those who have received treatment but failed to recover, and those who don’t have good financial means.

A daughter of an 84-year-old patient said that after Wang learned that her mother suffered swelling feet and couldn’t get on her feet, she visited her family in person. She first cleaned her hands and rubbed them against each other to produce warmth before starting the examination. At last, she determined the problem was caused by dermatophytosis and made a 36-yuan prescription, which successfully brought the patient back to health.

Wang often meets patients who don’t bring enough money for treatment. It’s now very common for her to cover the registration fee, drug costs and hospitalization expenses for them first.