A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

Zhou Hongmei checked the time; it was almost time for her to go to work. She quickly walked towards the hospital.

As she was pondering which patient to approach and how to get them to come to the hospital for treatment, she suddenly heard a commotion coming from the direction of the cardiac surgery department not far away. The noise was so loud that it attracted a lot of people to gather around the entrance. She followed the sound and went over.

The door to the cardiac surgery clinic was open, and a male doctor in a white coat stormed out, his face full of frustration and helplessness.

She had met this doctor at a hospital meeting yesterday afternoon. His name was Zhou Yi, and he was a doctor from Dalian who was sent to Xinjiang as part of a medical aid program. She had heard that he was particularly skilled in cardiac surgery and had excellent medical skills.

"I'm about to perform a right-sided small-incision mitral valve repair surgery, the first of its kind in the entire Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps!"

Zhou Yi's voice still carried anger, not completely suppressed, "This kind of surgery is minimally invasive, has a quick recovery, and can save patients a lot of money and time. Why won't you agree to such a good thing?"

Another man's forceful voice came from the consultation room. Zhou Hongmei immediately recognized him as Nurbahati, the director of cardiac surgery.

"No, absolutely not! The risk is too great! You're new here and don't know the situation. If the surgery fails, not only will the patient suffer, but the hospital's reputation will be ruined, affecting future funding applications and equipment acquisitions. Who can bear that responsibility?"

Zhou Yi stood at the door, gritted his teeth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he sighed heavily and turned to leave.

Zhou Hongmei watched his retreating figure, feeling uneasy.

It turns out that she wasn't the only one who encountered setbacks while working on aid to Xinjiang; everyone was striving to do something meaningful and was also under various kinds of pressure.

The morning passed slowly, and Zhou Hongmei's TCM clinic remained deserted, with not a single person coming in for a consultation.

She sat behind the examination table, touching the pulse pillow passed down from her grandfather, feeling extremely depressed.

Since she opened her clinic this morning, the internal medicine and surgical clinics next door have been bustling with noise, with patients coughing and doctors giving instructions from time to time. Even the corridor is full of people waiting in line. But her clinic is deserted and so quiet that you can hear your own breathing.

Zhou Hongmei couldn't help but get up and quietly peek out of the clinic door.

Doctors in other departments were extremely busy, some taking patients' blood pressure, some writing prescriptions, and others patiently answering questions. In contrast, their own consultation rooms were empty, with the chairs sitting there, looking particularly deserted.

Finally, lunchtime arrived. Zhou Hongmei, carrying her lunchbox, took the initiative to sit down at a table with several local doctors, hoping to take the opportunity to inquire about the situation.

"Dr. Wang, I see that there are quite a lot of patients in our hospital, so why hasn't anyone come to my TCM clinic all morning?" Zhou Hongmei asked bluntly.

"You're new here, so you don't know. We had a traditional Chinese medicine doctor come here before, claiming to have a family secret recipe, but his skills were completely incompetent. An old man asked him to treat his back pain, and after drinking the Chinese medicine he prescribed, not only did it not get better, but the pain became even worse, and he ended up being hospitalized."

There was also a child who had indigestion and vomited and had diarrhea after taking the medicine. From then on, people developed a negative view of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), thinking it was all a scam, and preferred to wait in line for Western medicine rather than try TCM.

Another doctor at the table, Dr. Li, nodded in agreement, "That's right. Traditional Chinese medicine has ruined its reputation. Now, everyone avoids it when they hear the word 'traditional Chinese medicine,' afraid of being ripped off again. It'll be incredibly difficult to change that impression!"

Zhou Hongmei listened, but her heart was heavy.

It turns out that the previous people ruined the reputation of traditional Chinese medicine.

Zhou Hongmei secretly resolved: she must prove with her abilities that orthodox traditional Chinese medicine can cure diseases and give everyone a new understanding of traditional Chinese medicine.

That afternoon, Zhou Hongmei didn't stay in the clinic. Instead, she took her acupuncture kit and blood pressure monitor and went directly to a nearby leisure square.

She wanted to provide free medical consultations to everyone, so that they could experience the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine and perhaps that would be the key to turning things around.

"Grandpas and grandmas, free blood pressure checks and doctor's consultations are available! Traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture is effective for arthritis, insomnia, and indigestion. Want to give it a try?"

Zhou Hongmei smiled and stepped forward to strike up a conversation.

But as soon as the elderly heard the words "traditional Chinese medicine," they shook their heads and backed away.

"No, no, we're perfectly healthy, we don't need to see a doctor."

An older woman waved her hand, grabbed the person next to her, and left.

"Forget about traditional Chinese medicine. I've been ripped off before, and I don't dare try it again."

Another old man said this and then turned and left.

Zhou Hongmei asked several people in a row, but no matter how much she said it was free or how much she guaranteed the results, everyone refused outright, their eyes full of wariness.

She stood in the square, watching the crowds come and go, feeling a little uneasy.

Just when she was about to give up, an elderly woman with her grandson passed by. Seeing her pitiful state, she quietly said to her, "Girl, if you really want people to believe in you, why don't you try to see Rehemaiti?"

He's had arthritis for over ten years. On rainy days, the pain is so bad he groans in pain. At its worst, he can't even get out of bed and has to rely on crutches to walk. He's seen many Western doctors, but nothing has been cured. If you could cure his leg, everyone would believe you without you even saying it.

Zhou Hongmei quickly followed up, "Auntie, do you know where Grandma Rehemaiti lives?"

The older woman gave her directions, and after thanking her, Zhou Hongmei immediately grabbed her acupuncture kit and rushed over. When she finally found the elderly woman, a young man in his thirties was blocking the doorway, looking her up and down.

Zhou Hongmei forced a gentle smile: "Hello, brother. My name is Zhou Hongmei, and I'm a traditional Chinese medicine doctor at the hospital. I heard that Grandpa Rehemaiti's arthritis is flaring up badly, and I wanted to come and take a look. I can give him acupuncture first; no medicine is needed, and it won't cost any money. Just give it a try; it can't hurt."

The young man waved his hand and said, "No need to try, we don't trust traditional Chinese medicine! Not to mention that Chinese medicine is too bitter to swallow, we don't know if it will have any side effects. What if it damages my dad's leg? His body can't take any more treatment."

"Brother, acupuncture really doesn't require medication. It just involves inserting needles into a few acupoints, which can unblock the meridians and relieve pain. I've cured many arthritis patients before, and they all saw results."

Zhou Hongmei wanted to explain further and try to get another chance.

The young man's face darkened completely. He reached for the door to close it, saying, "No means no. Get out of here, don't waste our time, we don't need you!"

Zhou Hongmei stood at the gate, looking at the tightly closed courtyard gate, feeling a tightness in her chest. As she walked back dejectedly, she happened to meet Ayiguli, who was walking home from get off work.

Aygul glanced at the medical kit in her hand and sighed, "I told you, don't waste your energy."

"Why? Acupuncture can clearly cure this disease."

"Many locals have been burned by folk remedies. In the past, some people believed in the miraculous Chinese medicines of quack doctors, but they either had no effect or harmed their health. Over time, they have developed a resistance to everything related to traditional Chinese medicine, and it is very difficult to persuade them."

Zhou Hongmei bit her lip, her inner strength rising: "Even if it's difficult, I have to try. The old man is suffering in pain, I can't just stand by and do nothing."