Thursday, December 06, 2007
What’s Up, Doc?
The trip to the doctor turned out to be quite an experience. The appointment was at 5 pm, and I was seen by Dr. Shia.
Dr. Shia was born in Hong Kong and had been living in England for thirty years. He studied medicine at Cambridge University and then undertook specialist training in Family Medicine. He had been working as a General Practitioner in Britain for fifteen years before coming to China. Dr Shia’s other qualification included a BSc in medical science from London University and a MSc in cancer research from Oxford University. He was also trained in acupuncture and Chinese medicine at leading hospitals in Beijing and Shanghai.
As well as a practising doctor, Dr. Shia was also a Clinical Fellow in a teaching hospital in London, and an invited lecturer at the Oxford University medical school. He also taught acupuncture to other doctors and physiotherapists in Britain.
Cambridge and Oxford. This guy ain’t no slouch. The facility itself was quite impressive. The decor was sort of a hybrid of my favorite Chinese restaurant and a regular doctor’s office. You can see pictures of it on their website.
The staff all spoke fluent English, and were professional to the highest degree. It was, in most respects, exactly like going to a doctor in America—you fill out the patient info form, a nurse takes you into a little room to check your vitals, then you meet with the doctor. The difference here was that I didn’t have to sit in the little room for 3 1/2 hours, I was taken right in to the doctor’s office. (Just like this one.) He took a standard patient history, and I showed him the medication I’m currently using on my hands. I told him that it worked, but that it wasn’t working well enough, and asked if he had anything stronger. Since he’s a UK/Chinese doctor and wasn’t familiar with this particular medication—the same medications are often marketed under different names in different countries—he Googled it right there in the office so he could see chemically what was in it. Once he figured out what it was, he then knew what he needed to give me that would be more effective. While I was there I also asked him about a scalp itch problem I’ve had. He said it was something similar to the eczema on my hands, and that he had just the thing to treat it. He wrote the prescriptions, then said he’d go get them from the pharmacy. Five minutes later he came back in, explained the dosage and use, and I was done. He walked me to the cashier, where I essentially paid a co-pay for my medications of ¥243, about $32. Just like in the US.
I also asked him about the medication for managing my OCD. He said that the drugs I take are available in China, but that—just like in the US—it was a preexisting condition, and that my insurance wouldn’t pay for it. I still have my insurance in the US, so it looks like the best course of action will be for me to get my medications back home three months at a time and have them sent over here by my mom.
All in all, though, between the three facilities I’ve visited—Bayley and Jackson, United Family, and International SOS—I feel absolutely confident that I can receive top-notch medical care here one way or another.