Chapter 52 – Familiar Faces

‘Is this a dream or reality! To think I’d be serving Professor Chung Ki-ryeo!’

Professor Chung Ki-ryeo, who had taken up a post at the National Medical Center!

He, who was called the Schweitzer of Korea and personally practiced what the path of a true doctor was.

He graduated top of his class from Kyongsung Medical College and was the greatest authority in the field of hepatic surgery in our country. Born in North Korea, his fame was renowned even in the North, having once operated on Kim Il-sung to cure his illness.

He performed the nation’s first major hepatic lobectomy for a liver cancer patient, created the Busan Blue Cross Medical Cooperative, the first private medical insurance association in Korea, and this became the predecessor of the current health insurance system.

Professor Chung Ki-ryeo, a true doctor who lived a frugal life dedicating himself to the poor until he passed away from his chronic diabetes in 1995.

Kim Ji-hyuk’s heart swelled with emotion to serve such a man as his advising professor.

“Are you Dr. Kim Ji-hyuk?”

His first meeting with Professor Chung Ki-ryeo.

A simple yet neat attire and a benevolent smile.

It seemed as if the character of Professor Chung Ki-ryeo, whom he had only encountered through photos, was fully reflected.

Thump, thump—

Kim Ji-hyuk’s heart began to beat wildly.

“Yes, Professor!”

“And you are Dr. Kim Yun-seok?”

It seemed he had already figured out Kim Ji-hyuk and Kim Yun-seok.

“That is correct, Professor!”

Kim Yun-seok bowed politely.

“Both of you are tall and handsome.”

Professor Chung Ki-ryeo let out his characteristic, good-natured smile.

“Thank you!”

The two looked at each other and smiled brightly.

“Shall we go to my office and have a chat then?”

“Yes, that sounds good!”

“Professor, I am sorry, but I have a patient scheduled for an enema, so I need to check on the ward. It won’t take long, so I will join you in your office after I finish!”

Kim Yun-seok raised his hand and spoke.

“No, let’s talk separately later. The patient always comes first. We shouldn’t neglect a patient’s anus just to chat with a trivial person like me, should we?”

Hahaha—

It was Professor Chung Ki-ryeo, overflowing with his characteristic wit.

“Yes! Understood. Actually, it’s for the best! We can’t speak ill of Dr. Ji-hyuk with him standing right here, can we?”

Yun-seok also countered wittily.

“Hahaha, it seems Dr. Ji-hyuk has done many things wrong?”

“Of course! He is a total troublemaker. I will report every single detail to you later.”

Yun-seok made a playful face while looking at Kim Ji-hyuk’s flustered expression.

“Great! That sounds very interesting. Then, Dr. Yun-seok, go check on the patient quickly, and Dr. Ji-hyuk, let’s head to my office.”

“Yes.”

“Yes, Professor!”

With that, Professor Chung Ki-ryeo moved to his research office along with Kim Ji-hyuk.

* * *

Professor Chung Ki-ryeo’s research office.

“Oh, this is practically a playground.”

Professor Chung Ki-ryeo entered the office and shook his head.

“Pardon?”

“No, you could play soccer in here.”

It was a roundabout way of complaining about the unnecessarily large office.

“The hospital prepared this place, so…”

“I know. I’m grateful for their consideration, but I can’t work in a place like this.”

“…”

“During the evacuation, more than ten of us stayed in a space less than a quarter of this size. Because of that, I can’t get used to such a large space.”

“Ah, I see.”

“And I don’t need things like that.”

Professor Chung Ki-ryeo pointed with his chin at the sofa and smacked his lips.

“Still, wouldn’t you have many occasions to receive guests?”

“Hahaha, I’m such an uncompromising person that I don’t have many people around me. So there are no guests to come. Therefore, there’s no reason to need a sofa like that. Give this space to the residents as a resting area, or use it as an office for you guys.”

“Ah…”

“For someone of my small stature to work in a place like this is a waste of space. Anyway, sit down!”

“Yes, Professor.”

The two sat down facing each other.

“I have heard a lot about you from Director Lee Tae-soo.”

“What kind of…?”

“I heard you’ve been highly active since you arrived here. They said you brought in a traffic accident patient on your very first day. Just as Yun-seok said, you must be a troublemaker?”

“Yes. It just happened to turn out that way…”

“Ha ha ha, it’s a joke, a joke! Why blush over something like that?”

“Ah, I see.”

“By the way, I heard that traffic accident patient had no relatives? What were you going to do if you treated an unidentified patient like that and couldn’t get the treatment fees? This is a hospital, not a charity organization.”

“Yes. However, the husband came by later and paid all the treatment fees.”

“That was a later matter. What I’m asking is what you would have done if the husband hadn’t come.”

Professor Chung Ki-ryeo’s eyes sparkled with interest.

“Give this patient the price of two chickens!”

“…”

“Wasn’t that the prescription you wrote for a malnourished patient, Professor? I believe what I did is nothing compared to what you have done.”

“Haha, you know all sorts of things.”

Professor Chung Ki-ryeo blushed as if embarrassed.

“You looked after patients by spending your own money, let alone receiving treatment fees. I did not have the luxury to negotiate fees when dealing with a dying patient.”

“That was because war is a special circumstance.”

“Would it be any different now compared to then? If even a state-established hospital like ours turns a blind eye to patients, who will look after them?”

“Hmm… Even so, you shouldn’t just accept patients blindly like that. Isn’t there such a thing as equity? The other patients admitted to the hospital don’t have overflowing storehouses of wealth to pay those expensive hospital bills. If that were the case, we shouldn’t have received hospital bills from them either.”

“That is why I believe a medical insurance cooperative is necessary. And not on an individual level, but on a national scale!”

“A medical insurance cooperative?”

‘You will establish the “Blue Cross Medical Insurance Cooperative,” the nation’s first medical insurance cooperative, in 1968.

But it is impossible to eradicate poverty and disease in this country with only the strength of a few doctors like you. I want to advance the implementation of national medical insurance, which was only achieved about 35 years from now, by 30 years! Something no one on this planet has ever thought of! I want to achieve that. I would like you to be at the center of it, Professor!’

“Indeed. Currently, medical costs are realistically too high. Because of this, poor commoners seek out quacks, lose their health, or even lose their lives due to various medical accidents. It is an urgent priority to introduce a medical insurance system to lower treatment fees.”

“Hmm, to do that, the funds would have to be secured. Would that be possible with the current national finance?”

Since Professor Chung Ki-ryeo had already been conceiving a medical insurance system in his mind, Kim Ji-hyuk’s words could not help but pique his interest.

“But there is a clear limit to operating it by spending the personal wealth of a few doctors like you, Professor. Furthermore, although it is true that the state finances are not abundant, I believe it is fully executable if we save on budget wasted uselessly. It’s just that there are many thieves in the country; it shouldn’t be impossible.”

“Hahaha, your ambition is grand, but that is not something that can be done easily.”

“You said that you would always stand like a boulder on a back hill for the poor people who have never seen a doctor in their lives, Professor!”

“Hahaha, did you do a background check on me? Where on earth did you hear such a thing?”

‘I believe it shouldn’t just end with being a fool doctor. In this Republic of Korea, there must be more wise and rational fool doctors. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and even Park Jeong-ui, who will achieve the economic reconstruction of this country! Taking all these connections as a stepping stone, I will surely rise! To the position of the world’s best medically advanced nation!’

“Well, if you’re interested, you can find out! However, I think just standing still like a boulder is not enough. It is also hard for them to even come to where the boulder is. I believe we must approach the patients directly ourselves.”

“You certainly have the refreshing attitude of the younger generation. At any rate, it’s much better than a passive attitude.”

“That is why I hope you will lead the way, Professor!”

“Hmm, yes! I had the same thought as you. Let’s put our heads together and find a good way.”

Professor Chung Ki-ryeo responded with a bright smile.

“Yes. I will do my best to assist you, Professor!”

“All right, all right. I feel like I’ve gained a million soldiers. By the way, it’s about time for an important guest to arrive…”

Professor Chung Ki-ryeo looked down at his wristwatch.

“An important guest?”

“Indeed. Back when I opened a temporary hospital in Busan, patients would flock in by 200 a day since I treated them for free.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Oh my! Although I made such a grand promise, receiving 200 patients a day was no easy task. Even treating patients for 24 hours a day left us desperately short of hands, but there was an angel who appeared like rain during a drought.”

Professor Chung Ki-ryeo had a pleased smile on his face.

‘Huh? Could it be…’

“Such a thing happened? Who is that angel?”

“What’s the rush? You probably know them well. They said they would arrive by this time…”

It was at that very moment.

“Professor! I’m here!”

A familiar voice came from behind the door.

“Speak of the devil, it seems the angel has arrived! Yes! Come on in!”

Creak—

At Professor Chung Ki-ryeo’s words, the door opened and someone entered.

As Kim Ji-hyuk had expected, she was Shin Jeong-eun.

“Senior!”

Kim Ji-hyuk jumped up from his seat.

“Oh my! Dr. Ji-hyuk, you were here too? Professor, I’m here.”

She greeted Kim Ji-hyuk with her characteristic bright smile.

“Welcome! You must have had a hard time traveling such a long way, Dr. Jeong-eun!”

Professor Chung Ki-ryeo welcomed her warmly.

“How did this happen?”

“What do you mean? Dr. Jeong-eun is a talented person whom I brought in with difficulty after visiting her three times.”

“I-I see.”

“Why? Are you not glad to see me?”

Shin Jeong-eun put on a petulant expression when she saw Kim Ji-hyuk’s bewildered face.

“No, no! How could that be! Isn’t anesthesia the weakest field in our hospital? If you come, Senior, I would welcome you with both hands and feet!”

“Hahaha, is that so?”

While Kim Ji-hyuk was greeting Shin Jeong-eun warmly, a cockroach came out from under the desk and scurried across the floor!

“Ah! A cockroach!”

“Huh? A cockroach? Where? Where?”

Thud, thud—

As soon as Kim Ji-hyuk finished speaking, Shin Jeong-eun raised her foot with glaring eyes and stomped on the floor.

“…”

“Oh! P-Professor!”

Contrary to Shin Jeong-eun, Professor Chung Ki-ryeo had already climbed up onto the sofa and was cowering.

“What are you doing, Professor!”

“Ahem, did you ca-catch the cockroach? Oh dear, I find cockroaches the scariest thing in the world.”

Professor Chung Ki-ryeo cleared his throat while adopting an awkward posture. His previous dignified appearance was nowhere to be found.

Hahaha—

Shin Jeong-eun and Kim Ji-hyuk burst into laughter at that sight.

Hmm, his grandfather Kim Yun-seok, who would become the greatest surgeon in South Korea, Professor Chung Ki-ryeo, who was called a fool doctor and would win the Magsaysay Award, the Asian Nobel Prize! And even Shin Jeong-eun, who would play an active role as Korea’s first female anesthesiology specialist!

Finally, the moment the dream team was completed had arrived.

‘I will surely achieve the medical revolution of South Korea with them!’

Kim Ji-hyuk’s heart began to beat wildly.