boyutpedia Chapter 1253 Rural Free Medical Services (Part 2)
Chapter 1253 Rural Free Medical Services (Part 2)
After a bumpy two-hour ride, we finally arrived at Hewan Town.
This is a small town nestled against the mountains and beside the river, with a clear river winding through it, and quaint stilted houses and bluestone streets lining both banks. There is indeed only one small clinic in the town, which looks quite old.
The free clinic was held in the open space in front of the town's cultural center.
The local town government took it very seriously, publicizing it in advance and setting up a sunshade and tables and chairs.
When Chen Yang and his group arrived, a long queue had already formed in the open space, with men, women, young and old all looking around with curiosity and anticipation.
Seeing so many patients waiting, Zhuang Qiwen and his team immediately felt the pressure, but they quickly got into the zone.
With the assistance of Director Sun and a doctor from the local health center, the group quickly set up a simple clinic area, dividing into several groups including internal medicine, surgery (bone and skin injuries), acupuncture and massage, and pharmacy.
Chen Yang oversaw the overall coordination and handled the most complex cases.
Zhuang Qiwen and Yu Shiyun were in charge of internal medicine; Zeng Yunhui and Xia Hongliang were in charge of surgery and acupuncture; Li Chengjie, Qu Wenxuan and others assisted with registration, maintaining order and dispensing medicine.
The free clinic has officially begun.
The first patient was an elderly man in his sixties who had a cough and wheezing. He said he had chronic bronchitis for many years, which was worse in winter and better in summer.
Upon examination, Yu Shiyun carefully inquired about his symptoms and found that he also had lower back and knee pain, frequent urination at night, a pale tongue with a white and slippery coating, and a deep and thready pulse. The diagnosis was deficiency of both lung and kidney, with phlegm retention. She prescribed a modified Jinshui Liujun Decoction (Angelica sinensis, Rehmannia glutinosa, Citrus reticulata peel, Pinellia ternata, Poria cocos, Glycyrrhiza uralensis) combined with Linggan Wuwei Jiangxin Decoction, and advised him to keep warm and consume walnuts and yam as appropriate dietary supplements.
The second person was a middle-aged woman who had wrist pain, saying it was from overwork while washing clothes and cooking.
After examination, Zeng Yunhui diagnosed her with "tenosynovitis," performed simple acupuncture on her (selecting acupoints such as Yangxi, Lieque, and Hegu), and taught her several self-massage and rest methods.
The third was a seven or eight-year-old boy who had diarrhea for two days and was lethargic.
Upon examination, Xia Hongliang noticed the patient's tongue coating was thick and greasy. He learned the patient had eaten unclean wild fruit and diagnosed the condition as damp-heat diarrhea. He prescribed a modified Ge Gen Qin Lian Tang formula and instructed the pharmacy to prepare Huo Xiang Zheng Qi Shui (a traditional Chinese medicine) for later use.
Patients came one after another, and the ailments were indeed numerous: colds and fevers, stomach aches and bloating, back and leg pains, insomnia and palpitations, infantile malnutrition, and menstrual irregularities in women...
There were also a few complicated cases. For example, a menopausal woman who claimed that she felt "unwell all over but couldn't find the cause of her illness" was patiently questioned by Zhuang Qiwen. He found that she had typical symptoms of "visceral irritability" and used the approach of combining Ganmai Dazao Decoction with Baihe Dihuang Decoction.
The team members worked efficiently and effectively, each contributing their strengths.
Chen Yang made rounds from time to time, and when the team members were unsure about something, he would step forward to consult with them.
The local people are simple and honest, and they are very grateful to see that these "experts" from the provincial capital are so patient and meticulous, and that the prescriptions they give are simple and effective.
Some brought their own farm eggs, others brought home-grown vegetables, insisting on expressing their gratitude, but the team members politely declined.
I had a simple lunch of dry food, and will continue in the afternoon.
People still flocked to see the doctor.
Just after 3 p.m., a family member rushed over in a cart with an elderly person, causing quite a commotion.
The old man on the cart was about seventy years old. His face was purplish-black, his eyes were closed, and he was breathing rapidly. A wheezing sound like a bellows was coming from his throat, and his chest was heaving violently. He was covered with a thin blanket, but his exposed arms were swollen and shiny.
"Doctor! Help! My father is dying!" the middle-aged man pushing the cart cried out in a sob.
The crowd automatically parted to make way, and Chen Yang, Zhuang Qiwen, and the others immediately surrounded them.
"What happened? When did it start?" Chen Yang asked while quickly checking.
“My dad has chronic lung disease and a bad heart. He started having trouble breathing yesterday, and it got worse this morning. The town health center said they couldn’t do anything and told us to send him to the county hospital as soon as possible… But the county hospital is too far away. We heard there are provincial experts here, so we rushed him here!” The man was a little incoherent.
Chen Yang lifted a corner of the blanket and saw that the old man's abdomen was also bloated and his lower limbs were severely edematous.
Auscultation revealed diffuse moist rales and wheezing in both lungs. The heart rate was extremely rapid and irregular. The tongue was temporarily obscured due to the patient's clenched jaw, but the lips were cyanotic. The pulse was floating, large, and hollow, but weak upon deep palpation, like pressing on a scallion stalk.
“Pulmonary heart disease, total heart failure, pulmonary edema, respiratory failure,” Director Chen Sun said from the side.
"This patient's condition is extremely critical and requires immediate resuscitation!"
"Is there oxygen? Cardiac stimulants? Diuretics?" Director Sun asked the doctor at the local health center.
The doctor at the health center turned pale: "We have one oxygen cylinder... but it's almost empty. As for cardiac stimulants... we only have regular diuretics and digoxin, but no intravenous medication..."
The conditions are too limited!
"Turn on the oxygen! Prepare for acupuncture!"
Chen Yang made a decisive decision and said to Zhuang Qiwen, "Qiwen, prepare the prescription! A strong medicine to restore Yang, purge the lungs and promote diuresis, consolidate the body and relieve asthma!"
"Yes!" Zhuang Qiwen did not hesitate at all and immediately picked up the paper and pen.
Chen Yang's rapid acupoint selection: Suliao, Renzhong, Neiguan, and Shenmen strengthen the heart and open the orifices; Feishu, Dingchuan, Tanzhong, and Tiantu drain the lungs and relieve asthma; Shuifen, Yinlingquan, and Sanyinjiao promote diuresis and reduce swelling. The technique involves rapid needling and strong stimulation.
Xia Hongliang and Zeng Yunhui also stepped forward to help, pressing acupoints and assisting the elderly with their posture.
On the other side, Zhuang Qiwen's pen flew across the paper, and the prescription was already formed:
"A modified version of Shenfu Longmu Jiuni Decoction combined with Tingli Dazao Xiefei Decoction and Wuling Powder: 30g red ginseng (stewed separately and added), 20g prepared aconite (decocted first), 30g dragon bone, 30g oyster shell, 30g cornus officinalis, 15g lepidium seed, 10 jujubes, 30g poria cocos, 15g polyporus umbellatus, 15g alisma plantago-aquatica, 12g atractylodes macrocephala, and 6g cinnamon twig. One dose, decoct quickly!"
The prescription is extremely large, with an astonishing amount of aconite and red ginseng, intended to restore yang and consolidate the body; lepidium seed has a strong effect in draining lung water; and Wuling powder promotes yang, transforms qi, and facilitates diuresis.
This is a life-or-death situation, and we have no choice but to use drastic measures!
The medicine was brought over, and it was immediately decocted on the spot using the portable decoction equipment they had brought.
On the other side, Chen Yang's acupuncture and acupressure seemed to have some effect, and the old man's breathing became slightly more stable, but he was still in critical condition.
Everyone's hearts were in their throats, and the onlookers held their breath and prayed silently.
After the medicine was decocted, the concentrated liquid was filtered out and carefully fed into the patient through a nasogastric tube (a thin, flexible tube that was temporarily found).
Time passed by, and each second felt incredibly long.
About fifteen minutes after taking the medicine, the elderly man suddenly convulsed, and the phlegm in his throat became louder.
"Father!" the man cried out in anguish.
Chen Yang said in a deep voice, "Don't panic! It's a battle between the medicinal power and the evil energy!"
As he spoke, Chen Yang continued the acupuncture and had someone gently pat his back.
A few minutes later, the old man began to cough violently, spitting out a large mouthful of thick, grayish-black phlegm.
Immediately afterwards, he lost control of his bladder and excreted a large amount of thin, watery urine.
Then, a miracle happened—the old man's breathing became noticeably smoother, the purplish-black color on his face gradually faded and turned dark red, and his eyes opened slightly!