First rule of China: Don’t get sick.
Second rule of China: See the first rule

Since coming to China I’ve broken these rules, which Niels and I established before leaving, pretty much every six weeks. It’s not hard to understand why I get sick so often, the air quality is horrible, I have 1200 students that don’t know how to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze, the school washrooms don’t supply soap (I carry hand sanitizer with me where ever I go), I could go on, but you get the picture.

When we were in Yichang at the beginning of February, someday I’ll write about our experience there, I caught something that just wouldn’t leave. I thought it was just a nasty head cold, but then it moved to my chest and turned into a wicked cough that just last week was starting to subside. I thought I was finally getting better but then my ribs began hurting; I thought I had pulled something while lifting weights but when it started getting worse and not better I decided I better ask the school to arrange for me to have a visit to the hospital.

Going to the hospital here is quite an experience When you need to go to the doctor here, you don’t go to see a GP or go to the doctor’s office, but go to the hospital. Everything’s centralized, well as centralized as things can be for China. One area of the hospital is the actual hospital and the other area is the health clinic.

The clinic’s rooms are divided to what area of the body is being affected. So because my chest was bothering me, I went to the “Respiratory Room”. There I met with a doctor (the school sent along one of the better speaking English teachers to be my translator), and she listened to my lungs. While sitting there having my lungs listened to I had an audience, there were about six other people in the room with me, watching my interaction with the doctor intently. I think I was the best entertainment they’ve had in a long time. HIPPA? What’s HIPPA?  

So after I had my lungs listened to I was shuffled off to the X-ray Department for a chest x-ray. Once the film was developed I was given the x-ray and shuffled back to the “Respiratory Room” and the doctor informed me that I have bronchitis, which didn’t surprise me. She sent me on my way with a prescription and my x-ray. Because I am not, nor will ever be, a regular patient the hospital didn’t create medical records for me. 

I wish I had brought my camera with me, because while waiting to see the doctor I saw something so typical China. In the exam room there was a sink, and above it was a very detailed drawing of how to correctly wash your hands. Unfortunately, the soap dispenser was empty and there weren’t any paper towels to be seen. Instead there was a lone dirty towel draped over the faucet for the doctor to dry her hands. I pray I never have something major happen because their idea of something being sanitary, is, well pretty awful.

China is getting stronger, and more modern, but some of that strength and modernity really needs to be concentrated on their health care system.