Upon entering Huimin Medical Clinic, I saw even more patients queuing up. Even though the clinic was well-ventilated, the sheer number of patients made the clinic smell extremely strong and foul!
The smell of medicine was almost completely masked by the stench!
Rong Sheng frowned slightly, but said nothing, and followed the constable into the clinic.
“Miss Rong Sheng, Dr. Rong, as you can see, Huimin Clinic is overflowing with patients. Every day, many people line up! But Huimin Clinic only has one doctor, a young man who's not very bright, so he doesn't see many patients in a day. But these people are all poor; where would they get the money to go to other clinics? Many patients die because they can't wait!”
Many, many people in our Wenhong County have died from disease, but I can't say the specifics here to avoid causing panic! Therefore, we are very happy that Miss Rong Sheng is willing to come to Huimin Medical Clinic for treatment. At least when recording the death toll in the future, we won't feel so depressed, and many fewer people will die!
Rong Sheng's mood immediately turned heavy. Ancient medical technology was not as advanced as modern technology. Even if some people had money to be treated, there was no way to cure them, so...
"These patients are all in good condition, but there are a bunch of patients in the back hall whose conditions are very serious. However, there is a shortage of doctors, and we simply cannot take care of all the patients!" the constable sighed.
"Why is there only one doctor?" Rong Sheng asked.
The constable said, "Because the wages are too low and there are too many patients, most doctors don't want to work too hard. So even if they agree to come to Huimin Clinic, they'll only stay for three days at most before leaving! Over time, no doctor is willing to come to Huimin Clinic to take charge! Besides, the main reason is that these patients' conditions are really too serious. Because they don't have money for treatment, their illnesses are just dragging on, and they're getting worse and worse!"
Rong Sheng sighed, "Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste, while on the road, frozen corpses lie!"
The magistrate wanted to help, but his resources were too limited, and he couldn't get the doctor's support, so he was powerless to do so.
“Take me to the back to have a look!” Rong Sheng said.
The constable said, "Miss Rong Sheng and Doctor Rong should be prepared, because what comes later is even more..."
Even the yamen runners were at a loss for words. After Rong Sheng saw the patients, she realized how pitiful they were.
Led by the yamen runners, Rong Sheng and Rong Dong'an arrived at the backyard.
As soon as they stepped into the backyard, a strong stench swept over them, almost making Rong Sheng and Rong Dong'an vomit. The smell was five times worse than the stench outside. It was as if all the stench came from the same place, making them not want to step inside at all.
The constable covered his nose and said with a heavy face, "In addition to the poor people, there are also some beggars on the street here. Because the Huimin Medical Clinic can treat patients who really can't afford treatment, as long as they can prove that they are indeed very poor and that they are not lying, they can enter the Huimin Medical Clinic for treatment and can stay there temporarily!"
The street beggars who came in didn't move an inch; they just settled in. So this place practically encompassed all the beggars in Wenhong County, making it much smellier than outside.
"Nobody takes care of them, doesn't they? Let them wash properly, do they care about cleanliness?" In this kind of environment, the disease cannot be cured immediately because the environment is bad and there are too many bacteria. Even if the medicine is the best, it is impossible to cure completely.
The constable shook his head: "Huimin Medical Hall only has one doctor. Even if there are two apprentice doctors, they can't possibly take them seriously. Besides, these beggars are not easy to talk to. Those two apprentice doctors are only seven or eight years old. How could they dare to argue with so many beggars?"
Occasionally, when we pass by this place, if the young medicine boy sees us, he'll tell us, and we'll come in and give them a proper talking-to. But it's only for a short while; once we're gone, these beggars are back to their disobedience!
I see!
The doctors are all busy treating patients, so how can two apprentice doctors keep them in check? It seems that to take over the Huimin Medical Center, we must start with these beggars; otherwise, patients who truly need medical treatment will be affected and won't recover quickly.
"How many of those are actually patients?" Rong Dong'an asked.
The constable said, "Originally, there were many seriously ill patients in the backyard, but ever since the beggars moved in, the backyard has become extremely smelly. Unless there is absolutely no other way, patients generally won't come in to stay! But now there are patients, and I estimate they will leave in a while!"
Rong Sheng nodded, his dark eyes darting around, and he already had a plan in mind for dealing with the beggar.
However, she needs the authority of the county magistrate to do so; otherwise, no matter how good her method is, these beggars will not cooperate.
Once inside the backyard, Rong Sheng saw that the ground was extremely dirty and messy, with garbage everywhere. In the corner, a bunch of beggars were lying haphazardly, not caring about their posture or whether they were elegant, only seeking comfort.
The situation inside the house was even worse than outside; there were many beggars inside, who had taken over all the tables, chairs, and benches.
Their clothes were extremely dirty, and it was unclear how long they had been wearing them. Even their skin was dark, with no trace of flesh visible.
When Rong Sheng saw the state of the backyard, his eyebrows furrowed in dismay.
She originally thought that the magistrate's arrangement of a clinic for her to manage was a great opportunity for her to showcase her abilities, allowing her to focus solely on treating and saving lives, but she never expected...
Why!!
"Ignore these beggars and go see the truly sick patients first!" They are the ones who are most pitiful.
The bailiffs led Rong Sheng and Rong Dong'an into the house to see the patients lying on the kang (a heated brick bed). They were much cleaner than the beggars, but they were surrounded by beggars. Even though they were clean, Rong Sheng still felt that they were not clean.
Rong Sheng didn't go forward to examine the patients; Rong Dong'an wouldn't let her. Rong Sheng didn't say anything, because the scene was simply...
If it weren't for medical ethics, she really wouldn't want to come in.
After examining the patient lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), Rong Dong'an frowned, but he said nothing. He told Rong Sheng and the yamen runners to come out and not disturb their rest for the time being, and to talk about it after they left Huimin Medical Clinic.
Stepping out of Huimin Medical Clinic and breathing in the fresh air, Rong Sheng felt alive again: "How are the patients?"
Rong Dong'an said, "It's not optimistic. They need immediate medical treatment and can't be left lying in such a dirty and smelly place. If possible, try to move them out of the backyard, otherwise their condition will worsen!"
Rong Sheng felt confident. "Father, what should we do next?"
Rong Dong'an thought for a moment: "There are still chores to be done at home, so Father can't stay long. Even if the clansmen understand, we can't go too far! Your second and third brothers have already run away, and if Father runs away, people will talk about us."
But now Dad isn't going back. Dad's going to the county office to discuss a solution with the magistrate. Shengbao, don't you have things to do? Go do your work first, and come find Dad at Huimin Clinic after you're done!"
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