Chapter 447: Storm in the Emergency Department

But then again, knowing how difficult some families can be, even if Zhou Can had discovered the child’s brain hemorrhage at the time, he probably wouldn’t have gone out of his way to help. Most likely, he would’ve just played it safe and chosen a conservative treatment plan.

Most doctors who’ve gotten burned before—after being let down several times—respond to troublesome families by switching on their defensive medical approach.

Ordinary people might not really understand what that means.

But just about every doctor knows exactly what it is.

And it comes up all the time during patient consultations.

For example, saying to a patient, “Sorry, your illness isn’t really my specialty. Maybe you should try a major hospital instead.” Or, “Sorry, our beds are extremely limited right now. There just aren’t any available at the moment.”

That’s just the most common protective medical strategy.

But if a doctor really takes a dislike to a patient or their family, and even after the patient’s been admitted, it doesn’t matter. There are still ways to handle it. Every single piece of supplies, medicine, every service fee—all of it gets recorded, no exceptions. Everything strictly by the book, not a single missed charge.

And as for required tests, not a one gets skipped.

Even tests that usually aren’t necessary? The patient gets those too, just in case.

Because if something goes wrong, the family won’t thank you for saving them money; they’ll demand to know why you didn’t catch it.

“Zhou, Zhou!”

Deputy Director Han Changqing stood not far away, waving to Zhou Can.

Zhou Can hurriedly walked over.

“Director Han, do you need something?”

“Come on, let’s talk inside.”

Chances are, Deputy Director Han is still traumatized from last time when he got attacked by a patient’s family. His arm was fractured and it took more than three months to heal.

Now, with the families causing so much trouble, of course Deputy Director Han would want to avoid the chaos.

“Those people are blaming us for causing a death and are demanding two million in compensation. But our Emergency Department did nothing wrong, and I won’t pay a single cent. You saw how the Security Department acted—they’re just like last time, standing by with their arms crossed, watching the drama. This time I absolutely refuse to talk with the families directly. I’ve already reported everything to the Medical Department and the hospital’s called the police.”

Whenever Han thinks about being assaulted by a family member, it makes his teeth ache with anger.

Last time, the security staff from the Security Department just stood there, letting him get beaten without stepping in.

“No special reason for calling you in. I just want you to keep your head down—don’t try to be a hero or stand out. Once the Medical Department and the police show up, they’ll handle the families.”

Deputy Director Han never used to show Zhou Can this much concern.

After his orthopedic hospital stay, at first, everything was by the book. Then came the green channels and perks.

At first, Han thought Director Lou had pulled some strings for him.

It wasn’t until later that he realized Zhou Can was the one who had quietly asked for help.

After that, Han treated Zhou Can much more kindly. Back in the department, it became even more obvious.

Sure enough, not long after, someone from the Medical Department arrived.

Vice Section Chief Yin Ying came in person, bringing a team to talk with the family.

Zhou Can also noticed that as soon as Yin Ying showed up, the security guards who’d been standing around watching suddenly became much more proactive. They started to intervene and circle around Yin Ying, protecting her in case the families lashed out.

That’s the Security Department’s true colors showing.

There’s a running joke in the hospital: security guards who have good connections get assigned to duty in the administration building, where it’s quiet and easy.

The only people who come to the administration building are doctors and nurses looking for a signature or running errands, so everyone speaks softly and shows respect. It’s a pretty cushy post.

Guards without connections are assigned to the hospital’s front and back doors or the outpatient hall.

Those spots are crowded and busy, with lots of families and patients. Fights break out all the time because someone won’t line up or listen to the security staff.

“The Emergency Department’s status is so low that even the security guards can bully our staff.”

He’d only been back in the Emergency Department for less than a year, but incidents of injured doctors and nurses kept happening. And if there was no injury, the number of times families or patients caused trouble could hardly be counted.

If security had been proactive, a lot of situations could have been stopped early. Some families might even have given up on making a scene.

Even the most aggressive troublemakers are all bark and no bite—they only pick on those they think are weak.

Real families with power never make a scene. They go straight to the courts—or handle it with the hospital’s top brass.

Once again, Zhou Can thought about finding a dedicated security team just for the Emergency Department.

He’d brought it up with Director Lou and others before, but the Emergency Department’s voice is too small and with the hospital’s rigid structure and tangled interests, it’s simply not allowed.

The head of the Security Department has way too much clout. There’s no way he’d allow any guards outside his control.

Clearly, this problem needs a more flexible solution. Sticking to the rules won’t cut it.

After briefly handling the families, Yin Ying turned and asked the young nurse beside her,

“Who’s the on-duty leader for Emergency today?”

“Director Han!”

“Where is he? The families are making such a fuss here, why isn’t he dealing with it? Get him in here at once.”

Zhou Can had already experienced what Vice Section Chief Yin from the Medical Department was really like.

She was extremely pragmatic, the type who only bows to the powerful and steps on the weak.

Even though Han is technically the deputy director of Emergency, Yin treats him like a subordinate, ordering the nurse to fetch him.

The young nurse hurried off to pass on the message.

“Director Han, Vice Section Chief Yin from the Medical Department is here. She’s asking for you.”

“Got it!”

Clearly still worried about another attack, Han’s eyes showed deep anxiety.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go with you. With all this chaos in Emergency, there’s no way we can do surgeries like this anyway.”

Zhou Can volunteered to go with Han to face the angry families.

With no security to protect them, he’d act as a temporary guard himself.

He could take on a dozen of those families if it came to a fight—they’d be no match for him.

Of course, if everyone could just talk things out without violence, that’d be best.

As the two approached, Vice Section Chief Yin glanced at them, her gaze flickering when she saw Zhou Can.

Don’t think she’s admiring Zhou Can; it’s probably the opposite—she still remembers his insubordination from three years ago and might be holding a grudge.

Now seeing Zhou Can, she might try to make an example out of him or take the chance for some petty revenge.

The folks in Administration couldn’t treat an illness to save their lives, but when it comes to making trouble for doctors and nurses, they’re absolute professionals.

“Director Han, the families are making an enormous scene and yet you keep hiding instead of taking charge. Even if Emergency is in the right, it still makes you look guilty!”

Vice Section Chief Yin is at least ten years younger than Deputy Director Han.

Even in terms of rank, she’s not necessarily above him. But it’s an unwritten rule—administration always trumps clinical—so the saying goes: county officials can’t beat local ones. She carries a sense of superiority over Han.

Her hidden status is actually higher than Han’s.

“Medical disputes are always handled by the Medical and Security Departments. I saw the guards arrive and assumed they’d manage it. Plus, our department is swamped with work today. I want to help, but honestly, I can’t spare the time. It’s not because I feel guilty, as you implied.”

Han might be a bit old-fashioned, but that doesn’t mean he can’t hold his own in an argument.

He was honestly furious about the security staff doing nothing.

So he pushed all the blame onto them.

“It’s your fault my son died! Give me back my boy!”

The boy’s mother, disheveled and worn out from crying, her eyes so swollen they looked like peaches, started her dramatic performance as soon as she saw the higher-ups arrive.

With the hospital leaders on the scene, she went straight into her routine.

“The child was already beyond help when he was brought in. We did everything we could, including emergency rescue. If you disagree, you can request an autopsy or take us to court.” Han wasn’t about to give in to a hysterical family member.

“Stop telling the family to just sue the hospital! You’re a deputy director—you’re supposed to be a leader. How can you speak so irresponsibly?” Right in front of all the families and staff, Vice Section Chief Yin openly scolded Han.

Not giving him the slightest bit of face.

Behind it all is her usual arrogance and a blatant lack of respect for Han.

A lot of leaders use public humiliation to expand their own authority and impress families, hoping to show they’re in charge during negotiations.

Han was so angry his face turned red.

But Vice Section Chief Yin wasn’t here to solve problems—she was clearly here to fan the flames.

“Actually, I think Director Han spoke responsibly. During the boy’s rescue, our Emergency team did everything possible. No one wanted this outcome. Now that it’s happened, we sympathize with the family’s pain. But if the family suspects medical issues, they’re free to escalate to the appropriate authorities or take us to court. Creating scenes and burning paper here won’t help.”

Zhou Can spoke up.

He’s handled more than his fair share of troublemakers, and he’s rubbed shoulders with department heads, even hospital vice presidents and the director.

On top of that, he has assets worth over a hundred million and is also one of Jin Yu Interactive’s bosses.

Those things give him undeniable confidence when facing families and Vice Section Chief Yin alike. He came off calm, unflappable.

Everything he said was solid and reasonable.

“It’s not whoever makes the most noise who wins—court rulings are fair. If the court finds our hospital at fault, we’ll accept whatever penalty comes, including compensation.”

Zhou Can added, slowly and deliberately.

His manner was so commanding, even the family members were momentarily stunned.

He made too much sense. They couldn’t even find grounds to argue.

Unless, of course, they went back to just throwing tantrums.

“Zhou, you’re just a lowly doctor. Who made you boss around here? Don’t you see all these leaders present? I’m the Vice Section Chief of the Medical Department and I’m dealing with this personally! Or do you want to stir things up even more?”

Maybe Yin’s just going through early menopause.

She came to settle things, but instead of supporting Emergency against the families, she turned her authority on Han and Zhou, flexing her power within the department.

“Handling things personally? With all due respect, all I’ve seen you do is throw your weight around, not actually work to resolve anything. Emergency might not be the hospital’s most powerful department, but we deserve respect. There are so many patients waiting outside for care, and you’re ignoring them. Why not focus on restoring order? What exactly are you trying to accomplish?”

Back when Zhou Can was only a trainee, he wasn’t scared of her then, and he definitely wouldn’t let her push him around now.

He wasn’t about to keep quiet for a woman like her.

She shouldn’t even be Vice Section Chief, given how she works.

But that’s how it is: hospitals are full of ‘legendary’ administrators.

On the clock, they snack on melon seeds, chat and sip tea all day. The rest of the time is spent scheming against the clinical teams. Yet without the hard work and revenue generated by front-line medical staff, where would their paychecks come from?

Even public hospitals only get about 10% of their revenue from subsidies. The other 90% comes down to making ends meet themselves.

In most public hospitals, thirty clinical staff support fifty administrative and logistics personnel.

Yet those who live off the hard work of the medical staff act like they’re above everyone, never treating them like equals.

Vice Section Chief Yin’s ugly behavior is just the tip of the iceberg.

“You—you’re lecturing me?”

Yin’s face went green from Zhou Can’s public dressing-down.

“I would never dare to lecture my superiors. But if you’re going to take a seat and do nothing, eat your fill and collect your salary, it’s only natural people will question your commitment. If you don’t care about the hospital or the patients waiting for care, and only care about throwing your weight around—do you really deserve your five-digit monthly paycheck?”

Zhou Can didn’t pull his punches, piling accusation after accusation to see how she’d react.

The answer came quickly.

Yin’s body swayed. Clutching her forehead, she looked like she might faint.

She’d been scolded by a young doctor in front of everyone and couldn’t say a word back. Now, she was left questioning her very existence.

Families lined up in Emergency actually cheered Zhou Can, blaming Yin for ignoring patients’ lives.

Three families with the most critical patients said especially harsh things to her.

Their demand was simple: restore the Emergency service so their loved ones could get timely treatment. Ordinary patients can wait, but for those in deep crisis, delays can mean death.

And with the clock nearing eight in the morning, peak hours were about to begin.

More and more patients were crowding the entrance, desperate for treatment.

Now, both Yin and the troublemaking families had become the public enemy of patients and their loved ones.

Right in the middle of the chaos, the police arrived.

The families instantly calmed down.

Both sides were taken to the Medical-Patient Dispute Office for mediation.

As she was helped away, Yin shot Zhou Can a fierce glare.

“You just wait, kid!”

The next step is: she’s going to make his life hell.

Zhou Can only shrugged, utterly indifferent.

It’s not that he isn’t concerned—a Vice Section Chief bent on making his life difficult could certainly cause him trouble.

But Zhou Can honestly wasn’t worried.

For one, Director Lou would go all out to protect him. And he’s no nameless rookie anymore, but a rising star in Emergency and Pediatrics.

If Yin tried to ruin him, she’d be stepping on the hospital’s own interests. The hospital’s higher-ups might not stand for it.

Unless she has some truly powerful backer behind her.

All Zhou Can could do was take things one step at a time.

Around twelve thirty, after finishing a surgery, Dr. Xu told Zhou Can that after work, he should go to the Administration Office with Director Lou and Deputy Director Han.

Looks like this isn’t over yet.