Line of Departure

Musings of a US Army reservist and China expat deployed to Iraq

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Things I learned about the Chinese Medical System

So, over the past month, I've had the chance to make some first-hand observations about medicine in China. Some of it is good, some bad, some just comical...

1. Incredibly cheap - 30 days of inpatient care in a semi-private room, total hip replacement surgery, all drugs, and stroke care cost only about $7000 US.
2. That said, You sometimes get what you pay for
3. Concept of PT and rehab doesn't really exist here
4. Most hospice care comes from the patient's family, not nurses. Feed patients yourself, have to call when IV bottles are complete
5. Don't understand what doctors have to do. Dr. Dong was always around, then also went home for long lunches.
6. Learned how to move patients around on a bed, clean them, put a bedpan in, use a pee bottle and catheter, give an enema, and use a tube to reduce gas buildup

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