Du Heng felt powerless about this and could only sigh softly inwardly. Then he asked Doctor Ma, "Have all the tests for the child been done today?"

Doctor Ma hummed softly, then got up, took a few test sheets from his desk, and handed them to Du Heng. "The hemoglobin has risen to 9 grams, and white blood cells have dropped to 54,000."

After saying this, a smile appeared on Doctor Ma’s face. "At this rate, I believe this child should fully recover with a few more doses of medicine."

As Doctor Ma finished speaking, Du Heng had also just finished reviewing the inspection sheet. He shook his head and slowly said, "Your estimate is too optimistic. In the early stages, when these indicators are either too high or too low, stabilizing the condition yields immediate and dramatic effects. But in the later stage, which is the real treatment phase, it will likely be very, very difficult to see such significant changes in the data."

Du Heng sighed softly, thought for a moment, and then said, "The house remains unchanged; continue using it. However, change it to one dose per day, with that dose taken in three separate administrations."

As Du Heng’s words fell, the smile on Doctor Ma’s face gradually faded. "So, Dean, are you saying the child will enter the recuperation phase starting today?"

Du Heng nodded slightly. "You’re right. From now on, it’s about letting him recuperate slowly. This will take time; it can’t be rushed."

Doctor Ma hesitated for a moment, lowered his head in thought, and finally asked Du Heng, "Then... should the child remain hospitalized?"

This question also made Du Heng hesitate; it was another issue that had been troubling him.

Considering the current best-case scenario, having the child continue hospitalization would actually be most appropriate. However, once he enters the slow recuperation period, keeping him hospitalized would violate regulations. Furthermore, personnel from the welfare institution and Civil Affairs would visit the child periodically, and they wouldn’t permit such a thing. The main reason, to put it bluntly, was the rules. From the moment rules are established, they are meant to be followed, not broken. Besides, more than half the children in the welfare institution were in similar situations to this child, so these rules had to be adhered to.

Du Heng sighed deeply. "Let’s observe for another two days. Once the child’s condition has stabilized, contact the welfare institution and have them arrange to take him back."

Seeing Du Heng’s decision, Doctor Ma nodded with a complex expression, and at the same time, he felt a slight sense of relief.

This child’s treatment had already cost over 40,000 yuan, nearly 50,000. While this sum wasn’t substantial compared to the child’s previous treatment costs at other hospitals, the current bill was entirely attributed to the Chinese Medicine Department. This placed considerable pressure on Doctor Ma, who was effectively in charge of it. If, in the end, the hospital and the department could share this cost, his pressure would be somewhat alleviated. But if the hospital didn’t contribute, the entire amount would fall on his department, effectively depriving the current medical staff of the Chinese Medicine Department of their bonuses. Although saving lives was a duty and an honor, no one would feel good about having their deserved bonuses, amounting to several thousand yuan, taken away.

Du Heng didn’t know what Doctor Ma was thinking. He just saw Doctor Ma nod, then slapped his thigh and stood up. He then said to Doctor Ma, who was also starting to rise, "Don’t get up. Go eat quickly, and then get some rest. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be off."

With that, Du Heng left immediately. On his way out, he pressed down on Doctor Ma’s shoulder, gently pushing him back into his seat as he was about to stand up again.

After leaving the office, Du Heng headed straight for the parking lot, then drove directly to the Health Clinic.

His visit to the Health Clinic today was partly on the way to somewhere else, but mainly because Dong Yuezhang had asked to see him about something. It being high noon, he figured it was a good time to drop by the Health Clinic and see how Qiu Pingzhen was managing.

Upon seeing Qiu Pingzhen again, his back was straight, but his face was full of exhaustion.

Watching Qiu Pingzhen busily pour him water, Du Heng felt quite satisfied.

"Dean, have some tea. My tea isn’t as good as yours; please don’t mind."

"Have you been busy lately?" Du Heng made a slight gesture with his hand, indicating for Qiu Pingzhen to sit and chat.

Qiu Pingzhen slowly nodded. "It’s not that I’m overwhelmingly busy, but compared to working at the main hospital, it’s much more exhausting."

"Of course, it’s exhausting. All the matters that land on your desk here require you to make the final decision. How could it not be tiring?" Du Heng empathized deeply. "What I still enjoy most is being in the consultation room seeing patients. That’s straightforward—no need to weigh this or balance that. But now? Last week, most of my time was spent cooped up in the office."

Du Heng allowed himself a moment of theatrical complaint. When he first took on the leadership role, he had actually felt a bit of excitement. But the longer he held the position, the more he disliked the work, and the more he yearned for his time in the consultation room. Yes, this was pure melodrama on his part.

After these words, Du Heng asked Qiu Pingzhen, "Did you manage to get that sum of money back from the district bureau?"

Qiu Pingzhen gave a bitter smile. "I got a portion of it back. Most of it is still with the district bureau."

"Not bad. You actually managed to get some of it back." Du Heng glanced at Qiu Pingzhen with some surprise. Regardless of how much was recovered, it was a testament to Qiu Pingzhen’s capability. "Getting even a little back is still something. That’s good. By the end of next month at the latest, the stroke team will be completely transferred out."