Chapter 249 - 166: A United Attack (Part 2)

Chapter 249: Chapter 166: A United Attack (Part 2)

"What is the purpose of an SOP? It isn’t to tie our hands. It’s to protect our patients, and more importantly, to protect us, the doctors, and our professional safety. A standardized medical record, an accurate time stamp on a doctor’s order—one day, these things could become our strongest legal shield in a medical dispute."

"So, the main purpose of gathering everyone today is to impress upon all hospital departments the core importance of strictly adhering to SOPs. In our modern medical system, any form of individual heroism that deviates from rules and regulations is not just inadvisable—it is extremely dangerous."

He had laid enough groundwork.

Ma Huaide paused for a moment before continuing:

"Of course, theory is one thing, but practice is another. The vast majority of our colleagues strictly follow the rules. However, during the actual implementation, there are still some young doctors who don’t have a deep enough understanding of medical standards, or even harbor some resistance toward them."

"For example, yesterday the Medical Affairs Department and the Medical Records Office conducted a surprise spot check. We found some non-standard practices in the documentation written by Dr. Jiang He of Hepatobiliary Surgery."

"Dr. Jiang, your performance during the emergency rescue was witnessed by the entire hospital. However, the quality control officer reported that your progress notes contain multiple chronological inconsistencies and formatting errors. In accordance with regulations, the officer requested that you revise and rewrite the notes, but it seems you outright refused."

"Since all the department heads are here today, I’d like to ask you: did you refuse to revise the medical records because you felt the quality control officer’s request was unreasonable? Or is it that you believe there’s a problem with our hospital’s current rules and regulations?"

When he finished, Jiang He stood up and said:

"First, I fully recognize the importance of SOPs in clinical work. Medical records are legally binding documents and must be treated with rigor."

"Second, the errors the quality control officer pointed out are objectively present. I admit my documentation has flaws."

"Director Ma asked why I refused to make the corrections. The reason is simple."

"The evening before last, I received the schedule from the Medical Affairs Department. I, along with a single new resident on rotation, was assigned to cover all 15 critical care beds in Hepatobiliary Surgery overnight. From that evening until the next morning, among those 15 patients, there was one with a post-operative high fever and abnormal abdominal drainage after severe acute pancreatitis, another with decompensated cirrhosis complicated by a major gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and two terminal cancer patients who required emergency pain management."

"During that entire twelve-hour, high-intensity overnight shift, I had to constantly adjust irrigation rates, administer somatostatin injections, issue new medical orders, and monitor changes in vital signs."

"Director Ma, I am one doctor, and my stamina is finite. If I had spent all my time on paperwork, who would have been responsible for the patients in those 15 beds if their conditions had suddenly changed?"

"I refused to make the corrections because, under those circumstances, I chose to prioritize my patients’ lives. That is my answer."

When Jiang He finished, he calmly sat back down.

Ma Huaide immediately seized on his words.

"Dr. Jiang, I can understand the difficulties you’ve described."

"Frontline clinical work is certainly difficult, but that still isn’t an excuse for violating SOPs. If every doctor neglected the standards for medical documentation simply because they were busy, hospital administration would descend into chaos."

As he spoke, he swept his gaze over the audience, deciding to leverage the power of the crowd to frame the issue.

"My colleagues, since you’re all here today, do any of you have a differing opinion on the strict enforcement of SOPs and a zero-tolerance policy for non-compliance? Please, feel free to speak your mind."

Ma Huaide was just going through the motions. He was certain that with Vice Dean Zhang Sui present, no one would dare to publicly contradict him for the sake of a junior doctor.

However, the moment the words left his mouth...

WHOOSH—

WHOOSH— WHOOSH— WHOOSH—

Zhao Yumin, the attending physician from the Emergency Department, stood up.

Liu Jianbang, Director of the ICU, stood up.

Chen Jing, the Head Circulating Nurse of the Operating Room, stood up.

Lin Peidong, the attending anesthesiologist, stood up.

Within two short seconds, more than a dozen people shot to their feet around the conference room.

They were seated in sections for their different departments, but at this moment, their actions were uncannily synchronized.

It felt as if they were rising up together to attack as a united front.

Even Vice Dean Zhang Sui, whose right hand had already touched the USB drive in his pocket, paused.

On that drive was the material he’d had someone compile overnight.

But now, his hand stilled.

He glanced at the crowd, a flicker of astonishment in his eyes.

Having spent so many years at the Mayo Clinic, Zhang Sui had grown accustomed to the impersonal nature and siloed mentality of the Western medical system.

He had never seen so many key staff members from different departments and ranks, in a major tertiary hospital no less, stand up so unhesitatingly for a young doctor who had just received his license.

Zhang Sui pulled his hand from his pocket. He decided to hold off for now.

He wanted to see just how this group of doctors was going to back up Jiang He.

On the dais, Ma Huaide stared at the scene, completely dumbfounded.

He was stunned for a moment before asking hesitantly, "Director Zhao, Director Liu... what is this?"

"Didn’t Director Ma invite us to speak our minds? In that case, I’ll go first."

Zhao Yumin scoffed. "A moment ago, Director Ma was going on and on about SOPs—standard operating procedures. Well, I’d like to ask the Medical Affairs Department: does assigning fifteen critical care beds to a new doctor on his first day—someone who isn’t even fully familiar with the ward yet—and pairing him with only a single resident fresh out of medical school... I ask you, Director Ma, does *that* conform to the SOP?"