Surgery Godfather-Chapter 2005 - 1356: The Emergency Medicine Department

Chapter 2005: Chapter 1356: The Emergency Medicine Department

In the meeting room of the Sanbo Hospital administrative building.

Song Zimo sat on one side of the long table, opposite Dean Xia Changjiang and several hospital leaders.

"Song Zimo," Dean Xia pushed a document toward him, "you’ll be in charge of the Emergency Department restructuring."

Song Zimo glanced at the words on the cover of the document: "Sanbo Hospital Emergency Department Construction Plan."

"The original emergency department was too scattered," Dean Xia continued, "the chest pain center was in the cardiology department, the trauma emergency center was in orthopedics and other surgical departments, and the stroke center was in neurology, each handling its own thing, without coordination. When a patient comes in, they go through triage, then consultation, then transfer between departments, and by the time this cycle is completed, the golden hour has passed."

He paused.

"Professor Yang has mentioned to me several times that the emergency department should be the first gateway for life-saving. If the gateway is blocked, no matter how skilled the treatment follows, it’s useless."

Song Zimo nodded, Yang Ping indeed had said this, not just once.

"So we decided to integrate resources and establish a comprehensive emergency department." Dean Xia looked at him, "The chest pain center, trauma center, stroke center, and so on will all be placed under the emergency department. The emergency department doctors must be able to handle various critical conditions, perform surgeries independently, and have their own operating room and ICU."

He closed the document.

"You’re the most suitable person for this director position!"

Song Zimo did not immediately respond.

He recalled the last conversation he had with Yang Ping, when Yang Ping asked him, "Do you know what’s missing in the emergency department?"

He said he didn’t know.

Yang Ping said, "Doctors who can save lives are missing. Not the ones who just fill out test forms and wait for consultations. They should be the kind who can see the problem at a glance and handle it on the spot. The kind who can surge forward and save critically ill patients when they come in."

Yang Ping looked at him.

"You’ve been with me for years, able to perform in cardiac surgery, follow in neurosurgery, not leaving out the basics of general surgery, and orthopedics is your forte. You’re skilled in interventional surgery too, you’re very suited to establishing the comprehensive emergency department."

Now sitting here, facing the dean’s appointment, what came to his mind was another matter.

It happened more than twenty years ago.

In the summer when he was five, his mother picked him up from school on her bicycle. The sun was bright that day, and she placed a small straw hat on his head. He sat on the back seat, holding his mother’s waist, listening to her hum a song.

What happened afterward was unclear. He only remembered a loud noise, the world spinning, then finding himself lying by the roadside, covered in blood.

His mother was right next to him. He crawled over, holding her head. Blood flowed from her ears, onto his hands, his legs, over every part of him. He didn’t know what to do, only knew how to cry and call for his mother.

When the ambulance arrived, his mother no longer breathed.

Later, he studied medicine.

Later, he followed Yang Ping.

He studied cardiac surgery, studied neurosurgery... pushing himself to the extreme, making sure every surgery was perfect, documenting every case, filling dozens of notebooks over the years, afraid that when someone needed saving, he wouldn’t be able to do anything.

He never forgot that afternoon.

His mother’s blood was warm, sticky, flowing through his fingers.

If his mother had met trouble five minutes later, If there had been someone on the road to save her, If the emergency system back then had been like now...

There is no "if."

He lifted his head, looking at Dean Xia.

"I’ll do it!" he said.

Dean Xia nodded, as if he had known the answer all along.

"Your deputy is already chosen," he said. "Xiong Shihai, original emergency department director, a veteran at Sanbo Hospital, working here for over a decade, has seen all types of situations. You manage internally, he manages externally, you will form the team."

Song Zimo hesitated for a moment.

Xiong Shihai.

The "muscle man" of Sanbo Hospital, a legendary figure in the emergency department. Stubborn, towering at 1.9 meters, weighing over 300 pounds, strong, his muscles solid like a giant.

Having such a person as director, now making him a deputy, will he comply?

Dean Xia seemed to see through his thoughts.

"Rest assured," he said, "I’ve talked with him. He said if anyone else were appointed as director, he wouldn’t comply. But you are Professor Yang’s top disciple, from the institute, he willingly respects."

---

In the emergency department office, Xiong Shihai was devouring a bun.

His eating style was bold, with one bite, half of the bun was gone, his cheeks bulging high. Upon seeing Song Zimo enter, he paused for a moment, then quickly swallowed the food in his mouth and stood up.

"Director Song."

Song Zimo watched him standing there like a wall, eyes bright, looking directly at people, not shying or dodging.

"Director Xiong," Song Zimo extended his hand, "going forward, let’s work together."

Xiong Shihai grasped his hand. The grip was astonishingly strong but stable, without implying force.

"Director Song," he said, "I am straightforward, I speak plainly."

"Speak!"

"I’ve worked in emergency for fifteen years. Seen countless deaths, saved countless lives. I believe I’m competent, whoever comes as director, I wouldn’t respect."

He looked at Song Zimo.

"But you’re different."

Song Zimo didn’t speak.

Xiong Shihai released his hand.

"I’ve heard about your surgeries. Cardiac bridges, neurosurgery tumors, emergency bleeding control via endoscopy, interventional stenting... Each of them is enough for others to study for years. You’re Professor Yang’s top disciple, from the institute, with heavenly skills."

He took a step back, standing upright.

"Director Song, from now on I’ll listen to you. You command, I’ll advance into battle."

Song Zimo looked at him.