top student at medical school

"Teacher Zu, thank you for your trust, but it's really too much trouble for you to come all the way from Kyoto to Han City to see me. It really wasn't necessary." Fang Ziye was somewhat amused and exasperated after understanding Zu Haiguo's situation.

Zu Haiguo's condition is indeed quite complicated. He has knee joint stiffness, which would be very difficult for even a chief physician in a prefecture-level city hospital to handle.

But in Kyoto, where the ancient kingdom of Juhai once lived, there were many famous orthopedic hospitals, such as Sekisuitan Hospital and Kyoto Third Hospital. You could just find a place to do it!
Zu Haiguo said, "I originally went to Jishuitan, but Professor Tang there said that if I came to see Professor Fang, I could get better functional rehabilitation."

"Anyway, I'm getting old, and my time isn't worth much, so I might as well go through all the trouble..."

"Professor Fang, do I really need surgery?" Zu Haiguo didn't flaunt his status, but communicated with Fang Ziye as an ordinary patient.

"Surgery is the best option, otherwise the joint stiffness will become increasingly troublesome and will require a release and functional rehabilitation."

“Our department…”

"Teacher Zu, how about this? I'll issue you a hospital admission certificate, and you can take it to the hospital in this area. This will save you a lot of paperwork."

“I’ll go over there to perform the surgery. I… can’t really free up a bed here right now,” Fang Ziye explained.

Zu Haiguo smiled broadly: "Professor Fang, I understand."

“I am not worried about scarcity but about inequality. I will not make things difficult for you. I will make the hospital appointment myself and follow the normal procedures. Professor Fang, you don’t need to worry about me.”

Although Zu Haiguo is not a clinical doctor, he was a medical professional before retirement. Although he was in a leadership position, he knew that Fang Ziye's side was basically 'flying' around the whole country with spinal cord injury patients!
The bed reservation is probably several months away. Fang Ziye could try to get himself hospitalized, but that would definitely draw criticism.

If they were Fang Ziye's parents, grandparents, or other immediate family members, then others wouldn't have much to say; everyone would understand such sentiments.

"Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Zu."

“Your surgery isn’t actually difficult. You can have it done in Kyoto. It will be more convenient to take care of you then,” Fang Ziye advised.

This surgery is not difficult at all; at least for top professors, the prognosis after the surgery is generally good.

Zu Haiguo was a rather insightful person. He shook his head and said, "Professor Fang, please stop trying to persuade me. I'm retired now, and I don't believe your arguments, at least not personally."

"I still hope to have a happier old age, to be able to take more walks and travel to more places to see the world."

"It's a good way to make up for all the rushing around in my youth... Looking back on my life, I realize I've hardly ever traveled..."

Having said all that, Fang Ziye naturally stopped trying to persuade him: "Professor Zu, you can just take this hospital admission certificate to the trauma surgery ward in this hospital area."

"Just say that I recommended you, and they should arrange for you to be admitted to the hospital soon."

While the limb-sparing and functional reconstruction surgeries that our hospital used to routinely perform were still distinctive, these two surgeries have undergone several years of refinement, and many professors from other hospitals have mastered them.

In addition, Fang Ziye has officially announced that he will no longer perform these two surgeries, and the National Health Commission has become more stringent in delegating the surgical admission system. The number of inpatients in this hospital area is still high, but not as high as when Fang Ziye was still there.

Arranging for someone to be hospitalized in advance will go unnoticed.

Moreover, even if they did notice, who would dare to mess with Zu Haiguo? Zu Haiguo used to be part of the National Health Commission, and it seems he was involved in the "Disciplinary Committee" and "Inspection" departments. Even though he's retired, he still has his old team...

"Then thank you, Professor Fang. I won't stand on ceremony, since I'm unfamiliar with Han City." Zu Haiguo thanked him politely.

"Teacher Zu, you're too kind."

"There's one thing I need to apologize to you about in advance, Professor Zu. After your surgery, your hospital stay won't be very long. I have two important academic conferences next month, and by the time I come back from those conferences, you'll probably have already recovered and been discharged."

"So, I might not have the chance to visit you again after the surgery... I apologize in advance..." Fang Ziye explained.

Zu Haiguo truly had the kindness of mentoring Fang Ziye.

"Professor Fang, you go about your business. Just finish my surgery. Why are you visiting this old man?"

“The research you are doing now is much more important. I often hear people talk about your deeds, Professor Fang. Many paralyzed patients speak highly of you.”

"Even those who haven't come to see you for treatment yet have been keeping an eye on you, Professor Fang, including some of my old friends."

"They all hope that Professor Fang can develop more treatment plans and surgeries to benefit more people who want to live better lives but have nowhere to seek medical treatment," Zu Haiguo said earnestly and sincerely.

Fang Ziye knew that there were many paralyzed patients, and their conditions were all different.

It is not only spinal cord injury that leads to paralysis.

Severe rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions can also lead to paralysis, leaving many people confined to wheelchairs.

Zu Haiguo, perhaps aware of Fang Ziye's current situation, offered another piece of advice: "Professor Fang, you can actually be bolder now, as long as you don't cause a large-scale 'public outrage' incident!"

“No one will make things difficult for you,” Zu Haiguo said meaningfully.

Upon hearing this, Fang Ziye was taken aback for a moment, then, recalling what Professor Li Yongjun had said at a conference in Kyoto a few months ago, he immediately straightened up: "Professor Zu, it wasn't you who recommended me for something, was it?"

"It's not really a recommendation. I've been retired for two years now, and I've only mentioned you, Professor Fang, occasionally when we chat."

"China is now facing another transformation, and the health of its people, and better health, will definitely be the next very important topic."

"The same applies to healthcare reform: ensuring that all patients can afford medical care and that they do not fall into poverty due to illness. This is just the foundation."

"More importantly, we need to ensure that all patients have access to medical care, ideally with someone available for every type of illness... and even transform from a large medical country to a strong medical country..."

"That's the general direction, but the specific implementation and the ability to uphold these general directions still depend on medical scholars, experts, and medical staff."

When it comes to specifics, Zu Haiguo is not very familiar with them, but when it comes to the overall style, he has a lot of experience.

"In fact, more than a decade ago, just a few years ago, our country's medical level had already made us a major medical power. The doctors in our country's hospitals were no less skilled than those in any other country in terms of practical skills and theoretical knowledge."

"But when it comes to major national projects, such as medical device research and development and drug research and development, we are indeed subject to others' control."

"This is very similar to decades ago, when our country's scientists were smarter than scientists from any other country, but we were poor, we lacked a foundation, we didn't even have computers, which made us vulnerable to others in every way..."

"This remains true even now. We want to reform healthcare to make it cheaper for ordinary people to see a doctor."

"But this is not an 'obligation' for foreign pharmaceutical companies, so we can only rely on ourselves and must maintain innovation in every aspect..."

"Including but not limited to the most basic aspects such as generic drugs and repurposing old drugs, there also needs to be a group of people leading their teams to advance into new treatment areas and new diseases."

"After all, there are already diseases covered. Even if the treatment costs are a bit high, patients can always find a place to see a doctor. At worst, they just can't afford it."

"Some illnesses are simply a matter of having nowhere to get treatment; that's true despair."

"This is also the main direction of global medical competition..." Zu Haiguo said.

Fang Ziye wondered, "Did Zu Haiguo come to see me for a medical consultation, or to offer me some guidance?"

Or perhaps they came under the guise of seeking medical treatment, but with a message in mind? While current leaders might be too busy, retired veterans like Zu Haiguo still maintain close ties with their former workplaces, making them ideal candidates for a getaway.

With sufficient status, weight, and the ability to keep one's word, Fang Ziye could feel the nation's recognition.

"Thank you, Teacher Zu. I feel relieved to hear your words," Fang Ziye said with a smile, immediately bowing in return.

"This proves that my idea was correct."

Zu Haiguo sighed softly: "Professor Fang, actually, no matter how medical science develops, it ultimately serves people, so we can't be too extreme when dealing with problems."

“Patients are just like ordinary people; they are very ordinary. Their thoughts and needs are also very important.”

"It's best to handle this gradually, and not to reverse course abruptly like last time. We should leave some room for maneuver and transform gradually."

Zu Haiguo then offered another suggestion.

This means that Zu Haiguo truly understands Fang Ziye and knows all the things Fang Ziye has done.

Fang Ziye nodded: "Teacher Zu, this time my transformation is a vertical in-depth one, which is different from the horizontal shift I made last time."

"Actually, the patients I need to admit for the time being are still those with spinal cord injuries, but they are more complex, involving higher segments and multiple segments of the spinal cord."

"Our team has already started writing the clinical trial application form."

Zu Haiguo said, "Whether or not there is an application form is not that important. As things stand, your team is the best choice for the next clinical trial of spinal cord injury. No one can take that away from us."

"Secondly, only your team understands this disease best. Currently, there are people waiting for your application form, ready to begin the approval process at any time. They hope to organize an expert team to come and investigate."

“I’ve actually been here for a few days now, and I think you’ve done a great job.”

"While conducting research and development, we also thought about standardizing teaching and treatment methods, which is excellent. This will allow more people to master this surgery and serve more people."

"This will also be more conducive to Professor Fang's scientific research transformation."

"Of course, clinical trials also carry more risks. They require a group of patients with conviction and dedication to participate. What I mean is, Professor Fang, for the subsequent trials, you might consider changing the location, which would save you more time and reduce obstacles to the progress of the research!"

Zu Haiguo directly told Fang Ziye to put the follow-up research at the sanatorium.

Individually, there might be some 'military thugs' or the like, but overall, the quality and service of the special teams are better than most people, and even better than ordinary people.

It's not about bullying easy people or 'kind' people. Clinical trials can only officially begin after animal trials and other preliminary preparations have met the standards.

“Teacher Zu, I understand what you mean,” Fang Ziye said.

Zu Haiguo laughed: "Professor Fang, you need to understand that the smarter and more capable a person is, the more precious their time is."

"People like you should spend more time on practical matters like research and your profession, and leave other issues to people in other professions."

"The variations that appeared in your previous clinical trials are not actually problems with the research itself, but rather problems caused by theoretical and cognitive limitations."

"But the limitations of theory and cognition will always exist, forever."

Fang Ziye replied, "Thank you, Professor Zu. No matter where it is placed, I will do my best to eliminate the risks before clinical trials."

“But Professor Zu, sometimes we need inspiration when we perform surgery, and this inspiration is unimaginable before it is formally explored and experienced.”

"Take the spinal cord injury topic for example. We've never opened the spinal cord before, so we don't know what the inside of the spinal cord is like."

“Speculation, imaging examinations, and autopsies cannot replace real people.”

"But actually, looking back now, I can't think of a better solution."

"Fortunately, the older brother named Le Yuan trusted me enough and didn't cause me any trouble right away, otherwise..."

"Of course, his prognosis is good now. In the video he sent me a while ago, he had already started doing aerobics." Fang Ziye smiled happily.

As the saying goes, a doctor's medals are not worn on their person, but rather earned through their actions in the world.

There's nothing more gratifying than seeing a paralyzed patient stand up again and start exercising. If there is anything more gratifying, it would be something like another patient standing up and starting to box...

"Professor Fang, when do you expect your next phase of clinical trials to begin?" Zu Haiguo asked, clearly on behalf of someone else.

"It's hard to say for now. The basic theory and surgical design are not yet perfect. Even if it's earlier, it will be the middle of next year."

“There’s no rush, this isn’t something you can achieve by rushing,” Fang Ziye replied.

"Well, if we could put aside clinical work and devote ourselves fully to the laboratory for a period of time, it would be faster."

"But there is no such opportunity."

"No rush. Although Professor Fang, your time is very valuable, we are not going to force you to work day and night. Your current task is quite important."

I heard…

Zu Haiguo thought for a moment and then said, "Never mind, I won't mention it. Professor Fang, sometimes I really admire you. You have a very strong sense of the big picture."

"If I'm not mistaken, are those medicines all alright?"

Fang Ziye nodded: "Yes... progress is going smoothly so far, but medicine is not like surgery. It needs to go through more rounds of evaluation, review, safety testing, toxicity testing and other procedures."

"Teacher Zu, what I want to say is that I will take a vacation for a while after my annual meeting."

"It's mainly for two things: first, to travel abroad and relax; and second, to see if we can have offline exchanges with some foreign pharmaceutical companies."

"Let's see if we can discuss this together to improve the drug's effectiveness!"

Fang Ziye has a really strong sense of the big picture. I'm not trying to steal your medicine; I'm just trying to make the original drug more effective and strengthen your core competitiveness.

So, since we're all in this together, it's not unreasonable for you to give us a discount when you sell us the medicine, right?
While China's market size is indeed large, it still accounts for more than 70% of the global market share...

"Professor Fang, you've already mentioned it, how can it not be allowed?"

"Your approach is quite suitable for the medical industry, but of course, it's limited to the medical industry," Zu Haiguo sighed.

In the military industry, if you make some improvements and are willing to progress together with others, others might not be willing, and neither would your own people.

Strength is the core competitive advantage.

...(End of chapter)