Beijing looks to cure its medical malaise

First person: I just want to see the improvements to the system

I never imagined my Nov 22 post would be read by so many people that I became a "celebrity" almost overnight.

After I had the operation, during which part of my intestine was removed, at the Peking University People's Hospital in Beijing, I stayed in the hospital for 11 days until my health stabilized. Then I went back to Shenyang to rest at home.

I felt the urge to describe my experience to others in the hope that other airline passengers will not suffer similar misfortunes if they require emergency treatment in the future.

For the first few days after the operation, I was very fragile and in a state of near-paralysis, so it was impossible for me to write down my experiences then. Besides, my Weibo account only had a few thousand followers at the time, so I didn't think it would attract much attention if I posted the details of my experience. I was completely wrong.

I can't remember how many people have forwarded or commented on my post, which I finished writing at home, but now, I have more than 40,000 followers. Some netizens have even used my account to complain about their own medical treatment, hoping to get assistance.

But fame was not what I wanted, nor an apology or compensation. I do not mean to target any party; all I want is a little improvement in the current emergency medical rescue system so fewer people will suffer what I went through. I hope I will be the last person to suffer such misfortune. I know it will be difficult, though. There are many obstacles to change, and some people don't want to admit their mistakes.

In the past few days, I have been under great pressure and have been unable to get adequate rest. I think this will delay my recovery.

To my relief, my colleagues and friends have all been supportive, and I'm very pleased to see my suffering has led to a public discussion on emergency medical rescue and China's ongoing medical reforms.

I am very happy to see that public participation has resulted in some tangible progress－the National Health and Family Planning Commission has announced that the health authorities will improve communications and coordination with transportation providers, such as airlines, to provide better emergency rescue services for passengers.

Zhang Yang spoke with Wang Xiaodong.