A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

He sat in the duty room, looking at the Dalian team's plan over and over again. Suddenly, he remembered how Zhou Hongmei had treated Grandpa Rehemaiti before. Could traditional Chinese medicine have a solution?

As if grasping at a last straw, he immediately approached Zhou Hongmei, his voice tinged with despair: "Dr. Zhou, could I ask you something? My patients here have been having uncontrollable post-operative infections, and they've developed resistance to Western medicine. Do you think... there are any methods from Traditional Chinese Medicine that can assist in their treatment?"

Zhou Hongmei was organizing her acupuncture notes. "Of course, postoperative infection is considered a deficiency of vital energy and residual toxins in traditional Chinese medicine. We can use traditional Chinese medicine that invigorates vital energy, strengthens the body, clears heat and detoxifies to help. This can enhance the patient's immunity and help control the infection. It will be even more effective when used in combination with Western medicine."

"real?"

Zhou Yi's eyes lit up. "Could you take a look for me? The Dalian team mentioned traditional Chinese medicine before, but I don't know anything about it."

"If you trust me, I'll go to the ward right now, take the patient's pulse, and prescribe a medicine based on his specific condition."

Half an hour later, Zhou Hongmei came to the ward, took Aimerdan's pulse, examined his tongue, and pondered, "The patient is currently weak and deficient in qi, and the infection has not subsided. We need to use Astragalus and Codonopsis to replenish qi, honeysuckle and forsythia to clear heat and detoxify, and add some Poria and Atractylodes macrocephala to strengthen the spleen and promote diuresis. This way, we can both replenish the body's vital energy and clear the remaining toxins. Using it in combination with Western medicine should be effective."

She quickly wrote out the prescription and handed it to Zhou Yi: "Take this prescription to the Chinese medicine pharmacy to get the medicine. One dose per day, decoct it and give it to the patient in two divided doses. Observe the effect after three days."

Zhou Yi took the prescription as if it were a lifesaver, and thanked him repeatedly, "Thank you so much, Dr. Zhou! Now there's finally hope!"

He took the prescription and headed straight to the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy, his heart filled with anticipation. But to his surprise, the pharmacist glanced at the prescription and shook his head: "Dr. Zhou, this medicine cannot be dispensed."

"Why can't we catch it?" Zhou Yi's heart sank.

"Take a look for yourself."

The pharmacist pointed to the medicine cabinet behind him, "Your prescription has more than 20 kinds of medicinal herbs that we don't have. Many compartments in the medicine cabinet are empty."

When Zhou Yi walked up to the medicine cabinet, he saw that many compartments were empty, and some of the herbs in the compartments were dark in color and even had mold spots.

The pharmacist said, "Recently, there have been more and more patients in the Traditional Chinese Medicine department, and the demand for treatment has increased, but the procurement of medicinal materials has not kept up. In addition, the warehouse is poorly ventilated and very damp, so many medicinal materials have become moldy and clumped together, making them unusable."

Zhou Yi looked at the moldy medicinal herbs and felt a chill run down his spine. Western medicine didn't work, and he couldn't get his hands on any Chinese medicine. Was he really going to just watch Amardan end up like this?

"What should we do? The patient is waiting for the medication!" Zhou Yi stamped his feet anxiously.

Zhou Hongmei arrived at this moment. Seeing the situation, she thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up: "I have a solution. I'll contact Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; my alma mater can definitely help provide an emergency batch of medicinal herbs!"

She immediately took out her phone and dialed the number of her teacher at Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, her tone urgent and sincere: "Teacher, this is Zhou Hongmei. I am currently in Xinjiang on a poverty alleviation mission."

There is a critically ill postoperative patient here who urgently needs traditional Chinese medicine as an adjunct therapy, but the pharmacy is out of more than 20 kinds of medicinal materials, and some of the herbs are moldy and unusable.

The patient's condition is critical. Could you please help coordinate an emergency shipment of medicine?

Upon hearing that the patient was a critically ill person on the front lines of the aid mission in Xinjiang, the teacher immediately agreed: "Hongmei, don't worry, the patient's condition is of utmost importance. I'll contact the pharmacy at the university's affiliated hospital right now, prepare the medicines according to your list, and arrange expedited shipping to try and deliver it within two days!"

"Thank you so much, teacher! You really saved us in a pinch!" Zhou Hongmei's voice trembled with excitement.

After hanging up the phone, she turned to Zhou Yi and said, "It's all sorted out! The school will urgently send the medicine; it should arrive within two days. Let me check what medicine the pharmacy has on hand and see if I can prepare a simple prescription to tide us over, so the patient's condition doesn't worsen."

Watching Zhou Hongmei's busy figure, Zhou Yi was filled with mixed emotions. In his most desperate and helpless moment, it was Zhou Hongmei, also a member of the aid-to-Xinjiang team, who extended a helping hand. He secretly made up his mind that no matter how much resistance he encountered, no matter how much effort he had to put in, he must rescue Aimerdan.

Zhou Hongmei rummaged through the medicine cabinet for a long time before finally finding a few basic medicinal herbs such as astragalus, honeysuckle, and forsythia: "I can only prepare a simple formula to invigorate qi and clear heat first, to help the patient stabilize their vital energy. Once the school's medicine arrives, we will use the complete formula for treatment."

She quickly prepared the medicine and instructed the nurse to decoct it for Aimerdan. Zhou Yi looked at the bowl of dark, murky Chinese medicine soup, his heart filled with both anticipation and trepidation.

Over the next two days, Zhou Yi treated Amardan with the adjusted Western medicine regimen while also giving him simple traditional Chinese medicine. However, the effects were still not obvious; Amardan's body temperature continued to fluctuate, and he remained short of breath.

Zhou Yi became even more panicked. He refreshed the logistics information countless times every day, hoping that the medicinal herbs would arrive soon.

The gossip continued. When Director Nurbahati passed by the ward and saw Zhou Hongmei there, he sneered, "What? Western medicine isn't working, so you're bringing in traditional Chinese medicine to make up the numbers? I think this surgery shouldn't have been done in the first place. Now you've got both Western and traditional Chinese medicine involved. It's completely unnecessary."

Zhou Yi ignored him and silently stayed by the patient's bedside, with only one thought in his mind: the medicine should arrive quickly, as quickly as possible.

Fortunately, on the afternoon of the third day, news finally came from the logistics department that the medicinal herbs had arrived! Zhou Hongmei rushed to the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy immediately, filled the prescription according to the complete formula, decocted the herbs, and delivered them to the ward. Watching Aimaidan drink the medicine, Zhou Yi's heart was in his throat.

After three more days of endurance, a miracle finally occurred. Ameldan's temperature gradually returned to normal, his phlegm decreased significantly, his breathing became steady, and he was even able to open his eyes with difficulty and give Dili a weak smile.

That morning, after Zhou Yi finished examining Amardan, he breathed a long sigh of relief as he looked at the stable blood oxygen saturation and heart rate on the monitor. He finally felt relieved.

He took out his phone and sent a video to the Dalian team. Director Li looked at the numbers on the screen and said with a smile, "Old Zhou, congratulations! You finally pulled through! This wave of drug resistance and severe infection would have panicked most people. You handled the complications very well."

Five days later, Aymardan's condition finally stabilized completely. His body temperature returned to normal, his lung infection was completely under control, he was able to sit up and eat on his own, and even take a few steps slowly with Amanjiang's help.

During the follow-up examination, all indicators met the discharge criteria. Looking at the diagnosis report, Zhou Yi finally showed a relieved smile.

On the day of his discharge, Dili and Amanjiang specially presented Zhou Yi with a banner, which read "Renowned Doctor Aiding Xinjiang, Skillful Hands and Benevolent Heart" in gold lettering on a red background.

Holding the banner, Amanjiang's eyes reddened with emotion: "Dr. Zhou, thank you so much! Without you, my father would be dead! This banner represents the heartfelt gratitude of our whole family; please accept it!"

Zhou Yi quickly accepted the banner, feeling warm inside: "This is what I should do, no need to be so polite."

The news quickly spread throughout the hospital, and even the local media heard about it—the first successful right-sided small-incision mitral valve repair surgery in the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps had saved a critically ill patient.

A reporter specifically called the cardiac surgery department to interview Zhou Yi and report on this positive event.