Chapter 1308: Hitting the Jackpot
Days went by, and three months later, Luo Qiao completed all her preliminary scientific research experiments and submitted an application to enter the clinical trial phase. She could finally take a breather.
Today was her day to see patients at the hospital. Despite being young, Luo Qiao had a reputation from before her time overseas, and many people came to seek her out, most of which were from word-of-mouth recommendations.
After a busy morning, she looked at the medical students interning with her: "How many more appointments are outside?"
Xiao Zhang smiled: "Director, there are five more patients waiting outside. Are you feeling tired?"
Luo Qiao gently shook her head: "Call in the next one."
Luo Qiao usually held outpatient clinics in the morning and, after having lunch in the hospital cafeteria, moved to the inpatient department in the afternoon where she would arrange her time in advance if there were surgeries.
The last to come in was a young man in his twenties, who was helped inside. He briefly described his condition: he had suffered recurring lower back pain for over four years and had been treated as if it was a lumbar muscle strain. However, despite repeated treatments, the effects were not very good.
After examining him several times and asking some questions, Luo Qiao felt that his illness needed further investigation.
She shared her diagnosis with the patient and then continued: "If we want to further confirm the diagnosis, we need to take an X-ray of the lumbar spine and sacrum and do several laboratory tests to determine."
The family member who accompanied him, the patient’s mother, asked with teary eyes: "How much will all these tests cost? We’ve been treating this for several years and if it’s too expensive, our family really can’t afford it."
Luo Qiao saw the young man’s dejected mood and heard him say: "Mom, let’s not treat this illness anymore, let’s leave it to fate, I can’t be a burden on our family any longer."
Upon hearing this, the woman burst into loud sobs.
Luo Qiao could understand the feelings of both of them; this was the harsh reality faced by poor families, where even the slightest disturbance could be overwhelming.