Picture: Many Hong Kong citizens trust Chinese medicine hospitals in the Mainland and go to seek medical treatment after customs clearance. / Photo by Ta Kung Pao reporter Lu Jingyi
In the ophthalmology inpatient department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, as the gauze was lifted, the Hong Kong elderly Fang Bo, who had just undergone cataract surgery, saw the world instantly clearly. After resuming customs clearance, in just half a month, he has completed three operations in this hospital. He said: "The medical efficiency in the Mainland is too high! We saw a doctor on January 30, and the doctor arranged for an operation on the third day, which was unexpectedly fast." Hong Kong, which resumed customs clearance for more than a month, went to a mainland hospital in the Greater Bay Area. The number of people increased greatly. Yu Xiaoyi, director of the Department of Ophthalmology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Traditional Chinese Medicine, said that a quarter of the patients he sees are from Hong Kong, Macau and regions outside of Guangdong Province. The number of Hong Kong patients has continued to increase in the past month. / Ta Kung Pao reporter Lu Jingyi Guangzhou report
When the reporter saw Fang Bo in the ward, he had just completed the right eye cataract operation. "When the gauze was first removed, my eyes seemed to be liberated." The 77-year-old Fang Bo said with a smile that he had worn glasses for more than 60 years, but he did not expect to finally regain clear and bright vision. Yu Xiaoyi, the director of the ophthalmology department who performed the operation on him, said that before the operation, Fang Bo could only see objects about 30 centimeters in front of his right eye. After the gauze was removed, his vision improved from 0.03 to 0.8, and he can return to normal life.
Completed three surgeries in half a month
“This time I came to the mainland to see a doctor, the biggest feeling is that the medical efficiency in the mainland is too high!” Fang Bo said that his cataract surgery will take 2 years in a public hospital in Hong Kong. "It only took two days from seeing a doctor to arranging eye surgery when I came to the mainland." Seeing the high efficiency of the hospital's arranging surgery, Mrs. Fang Bo also made an appointment for a cataract surgery, which solved the problems of cataract, glaucoma and presbyopia.
Fang Bo said that after the resumption of customs clearance, in just half a month, he has completed three operations in this hospital. "The first case was orthopedic surgery for low back pain, and the other two cases were cataract surgery for the right eye and left eye respectively." Fang Bo was particularly impressed by his first surgery experience in Guangzhou. Fang Bo suffered from sciatica in December last year. He visited public and private hospitals in Hong Kong. The doctor judged that there was a problem with his spine and prescribed him painkillers. "I took 5 or 6 kinds of painkillers back and forth. Although the pain can be relieved, it is not cured."
For this reason, Fang Bo and his wife took the high-speed train to Guangzhou for treatment after clearing the customs. "We saw the doctor on January 30. After completing the MRI and other examinations, the results came out the next day, showing that I had two joint dislocations and bone spurs, so I was hospitalized immediately. The doctor arranged surgery on the third day. It was unexpectedly fast.” Fang Bo said, seeing that the back pain surgery was effective, he immediately made an appointment for cataract surgery in the hospital. "Now the three operations have been completed, and they can be discharged from the hospital. We will have a follow-up visit next Monday."
Experienced in integrating traditional Chinese and Western medicine
The reporter met another Hong Kong patient, Mr. Tan, in the oncology department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Traditional Chinese Medicine. Mr. Tan has been a nasopharyngeal cancer patient for more than ten years. "In recent years, the tumor has recurred and spread to the whole body. I have seen it in public and private hospitals in Hong Kong. I have used western medicine a lot. Hong Kong doctors recommended me to come to Guangzhou to try it." He believes that hospitals in Guangzhou have the advantages of combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine, and they have a large sample of cases and rich medical experience, so they come to see a doctor immediately after customs clearance. "This is the first time I went to Guangzhou to see a doctor, and I made a special trip to register for an expert account."
The number of Hong Kong patients who went to Guangzhou for medical treatment increased rapidly after customs clearance was resumed. Professor Cao Yang, director of the Cancer Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said that since the customs clearance, he can meet patients from Hong Kong every time he visits the clinic, including old patients and new patients. "Our integrated Chinese and Western medicine is rare in Hong Kong, so many Hong Kong patients come for treatment." Professor Cao Yang said: "Most Hong Kong patients come with big suitcases, and each time they ask for a one-month prescription, and then Bring back a large box of medicines."
