PLEEEZE , WILL YOU WASH YOUR HANDS!?!

Yesterday Dave and I needed to get required physical examinations and I'm not aware of doctor offices in China. You go to the hospital for any and every medical need. We had an appointment for 9 a.m., but I think appointments are a joke, for as we approached the hospital, there was a chaotic mass of humanity before we even got in the door. A table was set up near the door with people crowded all around it and a woman at the table madly filing through files of papers as each person approached her to get in the door. Dave and I looked at each other and thought, "This is going to be a long day."

But then, out of nowhere, a young Chinese man approached us and asked, "May I help you?" He was an English-majors graduate who was at the hospital for a physical exam himself, and his English was just dandy. Spotting us foreigners amongst all the Chinese, he immediately assumed the role of Good Samaratin and escorted us past the chaos and to a desk where a phone call was made. Within minutes we had a nurse personally escorting us to the V.I.P. section of the hospital, where we were greeted in a gorgous, huge, luxeriously furnished, waiting room (we were the only ones in the waiting room) with five nurses waiting to help us. The five nurses immediately began filling out our paper work, and for the next six hours, personally escorted us to each of the areas of the hospital where we received various parts of our exam.















































When we got escorted to the blood work lab, and watched the masses of people in front of us get their blood drawn in cattle-herding fashion, we noticed the blood-drawer, although using clean packaged needles, was not wearing gloves nor washing his hands between blood draws. I reached in my bag for my bottle of hand sanitizer I always carry (since Chinese bathrooms don't have soap) and I asked Dave, "Do you want to ask him to wash his hands with this before he draws your blood?" Dave said, "You bet!" and when it was his turn, he sat down, imitated washing his hands, and handed the man the sanitizer. (There were no sinks or soap in the room.) Not speaking any English, the man didn't quite understand, and began to put the sanitizer on Dave's hands. Dave said "No." and began the gesturing of washing his hands again, while pointing to the blood-drawer. Our non-English speaking nurse escort understood, and notice the pictures of her telling him what to do. Finally they communicated, and the blood drawer washed a bit.
Peace of mind sometimes comes in small bits and pieces.









The line-up to pay for services to be rendered. No one gets any treatment until the hospital bill is paid first.