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Reason tells me: Don't write this article, it will cause a lot of trouble. Emotion tells me: Write this article, if you don't, you probably won't be able to sleep tonight.
At first, it was a small matter.
On February 21st, I received several recordings. These were recordings of a conversation between the director of Sian Hospital in Guangdong Province and a female doctor at the hospital that took place on January 19th. The recordings were not continuous, but rather a edited version of a long conversation. They are the basis for reading this article and are very important (but the language is extremely intense, so please prepare yourself before clicking the play button):
Doctor & Director Conversation Transcript - From Youyouluming
The local accent in the recordings is quite strong, so to make it clearer for everyone, I asked my classmate Wang to turn it into a video with subtitles. Because the content is complex and involves sensitive, illegal, and inappropriate content that cannot be made public, it took a day to process and became the following compliant version:
(CDT Editor's Note: The video cannot be downloaded)
Through friends in Guangdong, I found the person involved, a female doctor who has been working at Sian Hospital in Guangdong Province for seven years after graduating with a master's degree. Here is the story she told me:
Our hospital recently renovated the consultation room, with wooden walls and wooden sofas, the decoration was luxurious, but the smell was strong. On December 19, 2019, I was notified to start seeing patients in the new Traditional Chinese Medicine department. On the first morning, my eyes were stinging and my nose was numb, making it difficult to concentrate on treating patients. A woman brought her thin and weak little girl to see me for atopic dermatitis. Shortly after sitting down, I saw the little girl scratching herself a few times and whispered to her mother, "Mom, it stinks here... When can we leave?" It's true, children with atopic dermatitis are already prone to allergies, enduring the discomfort on their bodies while being exposed to the smell of the renovation, my heart ached: "Ah, little girl, I am also suffering like you. Holding back tears, I quickly finished the examination and let the little girl go home."
Watching them walk away, I had an idea, why not use the original office? When I went home that night, I started feeling headaches and nausea, the more I thought about it, the worse the headache got. The next day, I stayed in the new department for the morning, and the dizziness started again, feeling uncomfortable all over. Many patients came into the consultation room and covered their noses, asking, "Is this place newly renovated? Why does it smell so pungent?" Now I started to feel scared, after all, I still have an elderly mother to support, and I am also preparing for pregnancy, I don't want to have a deformed child, I don't want to get leukemia, and I don't want my mother to be left with nothing. Why should I work here? With this thought, I ran back to the original consultation room.
Who would have known that the director and the head of the medical affairs department would insist that I continue to work in the new department, saying that it was just a psychological problem and that I couldn't be poisoned so quickly. They told me to go back downstairs and wait, saying that it was just a nasal inflammation, an allergy, and that I should go outside for some fresh air, and I would get used to it.
When the director learned that I refused to stay in the new department, he even had the audacity to say that the formaldehyde levels in the new department exceeded the standard. He was furious and called everyone to scold them. I heard the head of the department say in frustration that he had been scolded for two hours. At the same time, he said, "You must go down, this is not a negotiation, if you don't go, you will be fired."
By December 27th, I returned to the new consultation room. Later, I was interviewed, but I didn't expect that the result of the leadership's handling was to punish me instead of addressing the formaldehyde issue.
On December 28th, the hospital organized a test, but the doctors found that the testing company opened the doors and windows for testing instead of conducting a sealed test according to the rules. "I asked, they didn't even have the qualifications, which made me very confused." The next day, the doctor found a testing company with CMA qualifications to come and test the consultation rooms. The results showed that the first and second consultation rooms, as well as the lobby, were all severely exceeding the standard. So I reported it to the leadership again, and another day later, the hospital organized a second testing company to come and test.
The doctor herself bought an air purifier, formaldehyde removal gel, formaldehyde removal patches, chlorine dioxide effervescent tablets, and a money plant. "I have them on my chest and on the table. Only by doing this can I ease my anxiety."
The doctor received the test report from Guangdong Aide Pharmaceutical Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd. and Southern Medical University Health Testing Center.
On January 7th, the doctor was informed by the personnel department that her year-end assessment was rated as "basically qualified." This is the lowest rating. "This is a serious punishment, not only deducting all performance and year-end bonuses, but also not counting as work experience for the year. If I receive another 'basically qualified' next year, I can be fired and it will be recorded in my file, a lifelong stain." (This doctor is a civil servant, so there are strict procedures for dismissal.)
According to the previous conversation, the reason for the "basically qualified" rating was absenteeism, meaning that she did not go to the Traditional Chinese Medicine department on the first floor for five days after December 20th. I checked the doctor's work log, and during these "absent" times, the doctor saw many patients every day (the system recorded the patient list and consultation time), which confirmed that she continued to work in the original consultation room on the second floor.
But she still sent an apology message to the director, expressing her reflection and asking the director for a chance to reflect on herself, "learn from the lesson, make serious corrections, follow the rules, obey arrangements, and do my job well."
Unfortunately, after facing criticism, submitting an appeal hoping for a different judgment, the original decision was maintained, and the reason was still "leaving the post without permission for a long time":
This led to a second meeting, similar to the state of the recording mentioned earlier, with insults and the furious director throwing documents at her face. The previous recording showed that the director believed that her unauthorized testing of formaldehyde pollution was a violation and that she should not listen to the arrangements without going to the new department, saying "you're done for."
I asked her how she felt, and she said, "Patients just want a good doctor who can listen to their inner troubles and cure their illnesses. But the leaders only want an obedient soldier, someone who flatters and submits. Unfortunately, I only know how to treat patients, I can patiently explain the boring medical knowledge in simple and understandable words to patients, but I can't say what the leaders want to hear. Diseases can be cured, but human hearts are difficult to heal. When society is sick, what can be used as medicine?"
Regarding the issue of air pollution in newly renovated houses, I have exposed the pollution in the Intermediate People's Court of Guangzhou, the pollution in Peking University Affiliated Middle School, the pollution in the Lianjia company office building, and the story of a tenant who rented a "formaldehyde room" from Ziroom and died of leukemia. I have even organized "900 Stories of Renting", I have heard stories of people being sent funeral money, being driven to the streets, and fighting lawsuits, but I have never heard of such intense conversations about formaldehyde issues.
Moreover, this is happening in a hospital.
I wonder, this is not just a formaldehyde pollution issue. It is something else.
I have a habit of writing 1,000 words every day. When I reached this point in the article, the doctor called me and said that she is now very scared because of this incident. Her Weibo and Douban accounts have been blocked, and because the hospital director has reported her to the police, she is now also suspected of "causing trouble and spreading rumors" and is currently being questioned at the police station. The questioning is not yet complete, but she has received a call from the Health Department to prepare for a "discussion" with her. The situation is becoming increasingly unfavorable for her and the people around her. "When the director hit me, the head of the medical affairs department, the head of the personnel department, and the deputy director were all present, and there were recordings, the facts are very clear."
An hour later, my classmate Wang, who helped me edit the video, noticed a link on the homepage of Sian Hospital in Guangdong Province, posted at 22:43 on February 22nd, late at night. The content of the link is as follows (the title should be "refuting rumors," they wrote it wrong):
This statement mentions the doctor's name: Lin Yueqin, and also publishes her self-criticism letter:
The statement says, "The hospital entrusted Guangdong Anbiao Testing Technology Co., Ltd. and another professional company to conduct air formaldehyde testing. The results of the two professional companies' tests showed that the air formaldehyde levels during working hours did not exceed the standard. However, Lin Yueqin, without the hospital's consent and knowledge, privately arranged for someone to conduct a 24-hour sealed formaldehyde test in the Traditional Chinese Medicine department and publicly disclosed it in the hospital's online staff group, causing a negative impact."
In a more complete recording, the most important conflict between the director and Dr. Lin is about this point.
The statement also accuses Lin Yueqin of "deliberately creating the scene where the director slapped her."
Because the statement revealed the doctor's name but did not reveal the names of others, for the sake of equal information, I will also disclose the name of the director: Chen Junhui. Sian Hospital in Guangdong Province is a directly affiliated unit of the Guangdong Provincial Health Commission and a public welfare institution of the first category. It is a provincial skin disease hospital established in March 1958. In July 2017, Chen Junhui was appointed as the director and party secretary of Sian Hospital by the Party Committee of the Guangdong Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission.
In the "Gathering of Famous Doctors" page on Sian Hospital's official website, Dr. Lin Yueqin is one of the 18 experts in the hospital. Her profile states: "Member of the Guangdong Provincial Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine, graduated from Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine with a seven-year master's degree in integrated Chinese and Western medicine. She has studied and trained at Southern Medical University and Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, under the guidance of the national master physician Professor Xuan Guowei. She has unique insights into the diagnosis and treatment of common and frequent skin diseases using integrated Chinese and Western medicine. She is skilled in the integrated Chinese and Western medicine treatment of acute and chronic skin diseases, and through the combination of traditional Chinese medicine external treatment methods in our department, she reduces the recurrence of diseases such as eczema, urticaria, postherpetic neuralgia, and skin itching."
I forwarded this statement to Dr. Lin Yueqin, and unexpectedly, I was the first person to inform her of this news, not her leaders or colleagues.
At midnight, I asked, "What do you think of this statement?" Lin replied, "I don't feel anything. The most painful feeling is feeling nothing. Maybe I have become cold-hearted."
Let's talk about another story. This story comes from Mr. Chu Chaoxin, a senior media person from Hubei: On February 9th, a nurse named Xiao Yu from a county people's hospital in Hubei Province posted a Weibo: "We are seriously lacking protective equipment. We have to wear one protective suit for two days, and we have to wear a regular surgical mask inside an N95 mask, only changing the inner surgical mask each time, and an N95 mask has to be used for three or four days, repeatedly disinfected. Some departments don't even have isolation gowns, so we wear two layers of work clothes. Subsequently, she released the hospital's official donation phone number and contact person information. On February 12th, the hospital's personnel department interviewed Xiao Yu, saying, "Your online comments have affected the hospital's image and caused serious negative effects. Please resign voluntarily or be dismissed by us." The hospital stated that after Xiao Yu posted the Weibo, the hospital "quickly established a special team to investigate and handle public opinion, with the party secretary taking overall responsibility, and the main responsible persons from the personnel, supervision, nursing, and infection control departments participating... It sternly pointed out the significant harm caused by individuals randomly spreading false information on the Internet, and demanded that Xiao Yu recognize her mistake, delete the post, and submit a written self-criticism." Xiao Yu immediately deleted the post and wrote three self-criticism letters, forced to admit "spreading rumors."
Now, it is widely known that hospitals in Hubei are facing a shortage of supplies due to the epidemic (recently, I have been helping some hospitals raise supplies), and the hospital where Xiao Yu works has indeed issued a public announcement seeking help and hoping for donations of medical supplies. This indicates that the specific hospital does indeed have a shortage of supplies, so why did a nurse's Weibo post about the shortage become "spreading rumors"?
This case, because of Mr. Chu Chaoxin's two disclosures, has brought some improvement to Xiao Yu's situation. I have discussed with Mr. Chu Chaoxin whether to publicly disclose the name of this hospital. Mr. Chu believes that not disclosing it may not achieve the desired effect of changing Xiao Yu's situation; if it is disclosed, he is worried that social donors will no longer donate to this hospital, resulting in a continued shortage of supplies for medical staff. In the end, he decided not to disclose it. His two articles were also disappeared.
This story reminds me of the reprimand letter to Dr. Li Wenliang, at that time, it was also a meeting with personnel, disciplinary inspection, and hospital leaders. The pressure was overwhelming, I understand that. Regardless of the outcome of Li Wenliang and Xiao Yu's situations, it will not affect the hospital leaders who wanted to punish Li Wenliang and dismiss Xiao Yu. Even if the media exposes it, there are still many concerns to consider.
Can doctors and nurses be afraid of death? Can they seek help? Can they issue warnings? At the very least, do they have the right to speak? It is a pity that diseases can be cured, but human hearts are difficult to heal, as Dr. Lin Yueqin asked me: "When society is sick, what can be used as medicine?"
Another doctor may have to bear the heavy burden of being a "rumor spreader." This is the most heartbreaking part of this epidemic for me. Allowing people to speak the truth does not cause the sky to fall; not allowing people to speak the truth will eventually cause the sky to fall. I wrote a paragraph before that was disappeared, and now I repeat it: "Wuhan needs many doctors who can treat physical illnesses such as pneumonia, but at the same time, it needs many 'doctors' who can treat social illnesses. When society's doctors do their job well, there will be fewer patients seeking treatment for everyday problems, much better than having countless heroes emerge in times of crisis. If everyone just waits for the situation to become irreparable, then it really will be irreparable."
It is said that the local county leaders have already gone to the county hospital to comfort Xiao Yu, who is working on the front line. However, the conflict between Dr. Lin Yueqin and the hospital leaders is escalating, and there is no authoritative department that has given a conclusion other than internal hospital documents. So we don't know where this matter will go, and we don't know what the future holds for Dr. Lin. Now, the police station is getting involved, which may be a good opportunity to clarify the truth.
That's where the story ends. There is some information that I have not disclosed because it is not suitable for public release. Real events are not novels or literature, and due to the limitations of my expression abilities, readers may not be able to feel the waves of truth in the events. However, I want to clearly tell everyone: art comes from life, and life is more magical than fiction; the best screenwriter's imagination cannot match the truth.
Let me talk about the doubts that have been lingering in my mind since the beginning of the lunar year:
Why do whistleblowers always have to go through so much suffering?
Why do some of us always tend to solve the person who raises the problem rather than solve the problem itself?
Why is it so difficult to listen to the voices of frontline doctors in outpatient clinics, to allow a doctor's voice to exist in this world, and why is it even more difficult?
Why can't we give more support and protection to those brave individuals? As a collective, why is it so difficult for us to return to common sense, speak human language, and handle personnel matters?
And how much sacrifice is needed to allow our society to share the beauty of justice?
The epidemic is upon us, and more and more doctors and nurses I know are volunteering to support Wuhan. More and more brave individuals from all walks of life are stepping forward. They feel the call of the current situation to every ordinary person, and they are racing against time to contribute their modest efforts to their fellow citizens in distress. I believe that the answers to these questions are more important than donating ten thousand sets of protective clothing to them.
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