Inside a top five Beijing hospital

I’ve seen a few serious cases that moved me  already from a TCM point of view but before that I will give you the inside details of one of Beijing’s  top five hospitals.

The China Japan Friendship Hospital is a big grouping of white buildings with a daily intake of five to seven thousand patients. There are 500 beds dedicated to Chinese medicine in the hospital and this is integrated with Western medicine. For example a cancer patient would receive chemotherapy and radiation treatment but also Chinese herbs for the signs and symptoms from this treatment: nausea, constipation or diarrhea.

The main building is about 12 stories high with most of the other buildings half that. Coming in through the main entrance you see pediatric emergency, emergency, trauma section and then the main entrance. Here the hospital gets divided up into the main departments over roughly 5 large buildings. Then there are the special wings. The international medical areas where overseas patients are accepted (more expensive). Then there is an area for the high ranking communist party officials that is restricted and is unknown area, yet to be discovered…On one the south side of site there is a large ornamental garden with an old Chinese style building with walkways and water flowing though. Its artificial but as I gazed from a fifth floor window yesterday there was a Chinese man fishing in it.

The entrance where I come in on the third gate is chaotic with drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians easing for a place. I often check left, right and  behind when I go in any direction. It feels very busy and very alive and I am often excited at this moment as I think of all the learning and experience I’m about to get thrown into. I stride in tall with my white coat and I feel very proud. It’s taken me four years to experience this moment and I am  in the very privileged position to see directly and without hindrance into the lives of everyday people. People in a world a way from my own and I know that this six weeks will disappear so quickly!. Every step I take feels important and I can feel that even in the way that I walk into the place.