"It is difficult to see a doctor" - these four words have become the heartache of almost every Chinese family. Recently, an ordinary man walked into the hospital with a sprained ankle, which unexpectedly sparked a big discussion about the medical system.
Why does a simple sprain require a full-body examination? What are the underlying problems of the medical system? Is it the excessive medical treatment of the hospital, or is it our unreasonable pursuit of health?
As the old saying goes, why is it that "moaning without disease" is here?
Why do simple sprains need a full check-up?
Why does an ordinary ankle sprain require tests that seem unrelated to the injury, such as an electrocardiogram and chest x-ray? First of all, the hospital's explanation is that this is a "routine operation", but is this routine really reasonable?
Before we explore this question, we need to understand that there is a medical rationale behind every medical procedure. However, when these operations become part of the hospital's revenue, things get complicated. Over the years, some hospitals in mainland China may have turned medical services into profit-driven businesses due to financial pressures.
In addition, it has to be mentioned that some doctors, under the great pressure of medical malpractice, choose to "rather overtreat than miss treatment".
But is it really responsible for the patient, or is it just increasing the financial burden on the patient? Through this incident, we can see a dilemma in medical practice: trust between doctors and patients has been eroded by the shadow of commercialization.
Deep-seated problems in the healthcare system
We should not stop at criticizing the excessive examination of hospitals, but also delve into the institutional problems behind it. The mainland's medical system has been trying to reform and optimize, but the road to reform has not been easy.
For example, Medicare may be paid for in an effort that incentivizes some hospitals to increase their revenue by adding tests. And this practice is actually consuming medical insurance resources and increasing the burden on the majority of patients.
At the same time, there is a huge gap between the public's expectations of medical services and the services that hospitals can actually provide. In this context, doctor-patient conflicts are constantly staged, and it is difficult to protect the rights and interests of patients.
The reason for this is not only the problem of hospitals, but also the problem that the entire medical system needs to solve.
Where is it headed? The future of the healthcare system
In the face of the current medical dilemma, we need to think about what the way forward is. Reforming the healthcare system requires the joint efforts of the government, hospitals, and all sectors of society.
First of all, it is necessary to ensure the fairness and transparency of medical services from the institutional perspective, reduce unnecessary medical examinations, and truly achieve patient-centered services.
Secondly, more systematic training and assessment are needed to improve doctors' professional ethics and professional competence, especially in medical ethics and patient communication.
At the same time, the popularization of medical knowledge by the public is also a part that cannot be ignored, and the improvement of people's health awareness can effectively reduce the conflicts between doctors and patients caused by misunderstandings.
In addition, it is necessary to strengthen the supervision of the medical industry, especially the clear pricing and review of medical expenses, to ensure that each charge has a reasonable medical basis.
In addition, through the power of technology, such as electronic health records and artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis, the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment can be improved, and unnecessary repetition of examinations can be reduced, thereby fundamentally reducing the financial burden of patients.
Conclusion: Medical treatment needs to return to benevolence and conscience
In the medical industry, every service delivery should not only be a cold technical operation, but also a heart-warming act of benevolence.
Doctors should be angels who save lives, not calculators of cold interests. In the face of the problem of seeing many patients, whether we can find a balance that can ensure the quality of medical care and avoid excessive medical treatment is a test for our whole society.
Looking at the road of medical reform, what we need is not only the introduction of policies and the reconstruction of the medical system, but also the reconstruction of trust between doctors and patients. Like an arrow on the bow, there is no time to hesitate for change.
Every adjustment and improvement of the medical system should focus on the health and rights of patients, and to this end, every practitioner should keep in mind the original intention and protect the dignity and value of every life.
Let us hope that in the near future, "difficulty in seeing a doctor" will no longer be a dark cloud hanging in front of every family, but will become a footnote to history, witnessing the progress of our society and the innovation of medical care.
Only when medicine returns to its essence – benevolence and conscience – can we truly say that we are moving in a better direction.