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China, Day 8

October 21st, 2009

Laura Ford Hall

The Pikeville Delegation to China arrived in our sister city of Ankang, China. Though we have only been here one week, to me, it feels like we have been here a month because we have been so busy. Every minute of the day has been planned. I am not sure about the other delegates’ level of tiredness, but we have been working so hard to learn about the culture and develop a relationship with the people that the amount of work has caused us to need a good rest.

Delegation visits Ankang Industrial Park

Today, the delegation visited several areas of Ankang City. Like Pikeville, Ankang is a mountainous region. Though their mountains are much higher, they are located in a valley like Pikeville, and they also have very little land to develop. They cherish the land they do have, so they first took us to see their industrial park. With a good piece of flat land to develop, their plans, unlike what we would have in mind for an industrial park, are more for retail rather than for factories, etc. Also a part of their industrial park was a medicinal factory where they make herbal medicines from the plants grown in their area. The labs in the medicinal factory were not what I had pictured in my mind as a medicinal lab. Though, I am sure herbal medicine is made differently than medicine made in America at a large pharmaceutical company.

In many ways, it seems that China is ahead of us technology, but in many ways, they are much more behind than we are. They have so many people and many factories. I have never visited an area with such smog. It is difficult to breathe the air sometimes.

Walter May with the president of Ankang Regional Hospital

Next, we visited the Ankang Regional Hospital. It was made clear early on that one of the main areas that Ankang feels it can benefit from its Sister City relationship with Pikeville is in health care for its people. Because China is a communist country, health care is free to everyone, though some fees do have to be paid up front. When you walk in, there is a cashier area that must be visited first. The lobby of the hospital resembled the lobby of an old hotel, open to the floors above with railing; you could see patient rooms from the lobby. Their hospital has 800 beds and 1,200 on staff and they serve an area of 2 million people. As I understand, I believe Pikeville Medical Center has over 250 beds and over 1,600 staff to serve our surrounding area of around 75,000 people.

Walter E. and Pam May were very interested in the workings of the hospital and as they walked through, they took in everything and made many compliments on the hospital, especially on their colonoscopy center, MRI area, and their sterile areas. The staff at the hospital seemed hard at work.

Ankang Hospital

The first building of the hospital (there were 3 buildings in total with a courtyard in between) reminded me of photos I had seen of the old hospital on Pikeville College hill that is now the library. In some of the rooms, there were 5 or 6 patient beds and the rooms had no bathrooms. I only saw one patient hooked up to an IV and they were in the Intensive Care unit, which appeared to have 3 beds per room. However, the look of the building may not denote the quality of care. But, I was surprised because I believe in America we take for granted our beautiful, updated buildings with shiny floors, many elevators, and the conveniences we need.

As I viewed this Chinese hospital, I was thankful for our beautiful hospital Pikeville Medical Center. Having passed 22 kidney stones, I have been a frequent visitor. My husband also had surgery for his thyroid cancer at PMC, done by Dr. Gregory Hazelett. The care could not have been better. My mother was also cared for at PMC for the terminal cancer she had and all of her needs were met. I was so thankful for her nurses and doctors. Dr. Lela Maynard and Dr. Bagrath were both wonderful to her. The night of her passing, the staff in the ER, including Dr. John Fleming and nurse Bobby Norman did everything they could to help her. I was so thankful that she was with people she knew and she felt secure.

Pikeville delegation at Ankang Hospital

I am so thankful for Pikeville Medical Center and for Mr. May and all of those who have worked and continue to work daily to improve our quality of care for our town. You have no idea how blessed we are.

Sometimes, when I have family in the hospital or I am in the hospital with a kidney stone, I will complain about not having a private room, but NEVER again! I could not imagine 5 or 6 to a room. I did feel bad for the patients who were in such rooms.

The Mayor of Ankang City wants more for their hospital and wants to especially correspond with Pikeville regarding health care and ways to improve their health facilities. He was very interested in this area in particular and realized their need to better their facilities for their people. He said he had been in the hospital himself and was unable to get a private room or a room with a restroom and knows that this area needs to be addressed.

The people of Ankang City are in a rural area of China and many have never seen a foreign visitor with “yellow hair.” Kim Carter, Judi Patton, and I were constantly getting compliments on our “yellow hair” which is envied by Ankang children. People would stare and could not remove their eyes from us… young and old alike. We would smile and say “ni how” (pronounced nee-how) and they would often smile or laugh back. When we left the hospital, many patients got out of their beds and were waving at us from the windows… doctors and nurses were as well.

After the visit to the hospital, some of the delegation visited Ankang’s Ying’ma Lake, which was very beautiful with a small knoll with a Chinese tower in the center of the lake. Following the lake, a banquet was held.

As for my Chinese Diet… I still believe I have lost 11 or 12 lbs. with a new addition to their diet regime… walking everywhere when they are not riding a bicycle. The China Delegation would wish to take us somewhere saying “it is just a short walk” that might end up being a mile or two, but to them, that is a short walk. We have really gotten the exercise!

I am greatly enjoying my time in China but look forward to coming home… especially to the food and to my work with my students at Big Sandy Community and Technical College. I am missing my Singers and my dad. It will be good to be back home in the town I love: Pikeville.

Laura Ford Hall