Seeing Xiao Ma looking so enlightened, Du Heng couldn't help but say a few more words. However, this was not his main goal for coming to Provincial First Hospital today. "Xiao Ma, when will the Teacher be back?"

Xiao Ma also looked at the time with confusion. "I don't know. Usually, when he's called for a consultation, he comes back in half an hour. Today it's been almost two hours, and he hasn't returned yet."

Du Heng glanced at the text message on his phone, looked at the time again, and said after a brief thought, "The Teacher is in a consultation, so it's not convenient for me to call him now. Tell you what, I suddenly have something to deal with. Xiao Ma, could you please tell the Teacher for me? I'll come back to find him after I'm done."

For such a small matter, Xiao Ma naturally wouldn't refuse. So, after seeing Xiao Ma nod, Du Heng immediately took his phone and left the office. Once outside the consultation room, he quickly dialed a number and asked eagerly, "Dean Qiao, is it done?"

Deputy Dean Qiao, on the other end of the line, his voice also full of excitement, said, "Dean, it's done! The agreement was finally reached this morning. You can come to the district bureau this afternoon to sign it, and Zhonghu Health Center will officially become a branch hospital of our Municipal Maternal and Child Health Hospital."

Then Deputy Dean Qiao began to highlight the key points, telling Du Heng the conditions they had finally agreed upon.

The general scope of these conditions was much the same as what had been proposed a month ago when discussions first began. The reason it had dragged on for so long was that many of the previously agreed-upon framework items had been fleshed out in much greater detail.

For example, specifics like how the salaries for the staff at Zhonghu Health Center would be paid, what the Municipal Maternal and Child Health Hospital was to accomplish within a specific timeframe, how much money to invest, and other similar details were ironed out.

Moreover, Deputy Dean Qiao, the chief negotiator, would report to Du Heng every few days. The matter would then go before the Hospital Committee, where they would collectively determine a general course of action to relay to Deputy Dean Qiao. Thus, Du Heng was quite clear on what Deputy Dean Qiao was discussing.

When Du Heng drove to meet Deputy Dean Qiao, the latter was just stepping out of the main entrance of the Municipal Bureau. Du Heng hurriedly ushered him into the car. "Have you informed the leaders?"

Deputy Dean Qiao nodded excitedly. "I've told the leaders, and they are very satisfied. You just need to go to the District this afternoon to sign a few documents. Then, we'll give the Health Clinic two days to prepare, and after that, we'll hold an official ceremony at the clinic."

"Isn't the timeline a bit too rushed?" After the initial excitement, Du Heng voiced his concern upon hearing the schedule.

Deputy Dean Qiao immediately replied, "Dean, they have no choice but to rush."

"What do you mean?"

"Dean, you probably don't know, do you? During the time you were away, the situation at the Health Clinic has been deteriorating day by day. Now, both the new building and the refurbished Red Building are completely empty. The doctors at the Health Clinic are slightly better off, as they've all been assigned to outpatient services or sent to the villages.

However, those nurses who were just recruited are once again on the verge of unemployment.

What's even more unacceptable is that the Health Clinic's income for June was only 70,000 yuan. Based on this, this month's income might be even less."

Upon hearing this figure, Du Heng was rendered utterly speechless.

When he first took over the Health Clinic, its monthly income was around 60,000 to 70,000 yuan.

It was just that back then, the Health Clinic had only a handful of staff, about twenty people in total. With the monthly subsidy from the Township Government, they could barely scrape by.

But the situation was different now. The number of doctors alone had surpassed fifteen, and the number of nurses had starkly increased from the previous ten to thirty.

Adding the logistics and other department staff, the total number of personnel had surpassed the fifty mark.

Although salaries for positions other than doctors and nurses were set at the minimum standard, 70,000 yuan was a drop in the bucket.

With the meager reserves he had accumulated in the first half of the year, if things continued at this rate, they would likely be almost depleted by now.

In an instant, Du Heng understood why the District was willing to accept such a proposal. They probably hadn't expected that his departure would cause the Health Clinic's once-promising situation to collapse in just three or four months.

An organization with so many employees couldn't just hire and fire at will. More importantly, many doctors and nurses at the Health Clinic held authorized jobs or had been transferred from other health clinics or community hospitals. These individuals couldn't simply be dismissed.

He himself had been wondering if establishing a branch hospital for an institution of the Municipal Maternal and Child Health Hospital's caliber was even feasible. Typically, only major hospitals like Provincial First Hospital or top affiliated hospitals would consider establishing branch hospitals, either by finding locations in various counties or by investing their own funds to create one.

Now he understood. In just half a year, the Health Clinic had become a burden they couldn't shake off. This solution would not only rejuvenate the Health Clinic but also save them from having this burden land squarely on their shoulders. Moreover, once it began to thrive again, it would become another tangible achievement for them.

A triple win!

However, understanding the situation didn't mean Du Heng would stop caring about the Health Clinic. What mattered most to him was the hope that his fellow townsmen could have convenient access to medical treatment, spend less, and enjoy better healthcare conditions.