Photos of doctor aiding centenarian go viral
Photographs of a doctor holding a 102-year-old female patient in his arms and comforting her as she is given an anesthetic injection have gone viral.
The patient, born in 1914, who fractured her right femur when she fell down, was taken to the First Clinical Hospital affiliated to Harbin Medical University in Northeast China’s Heilong jiang province on Dec 19.
Due to her age, medics could not administer general anesthesia, while lying on her side caused her pain, said Dong Yingwei, the anesthetist. On Dec 23, the hospital decided to give her a local anesthetic while she sat on the operating table.
“The patient was feeling unsteady and was in pain,” Dong said. “So I suggested to doctor Zhao Liang to hold her firmly as a support base, because he is strong.”
The patient felt scared in the operating room and kept asking for her daily care worker to accompany her, Zhao said.
As nonmedical staff members are not allowed in the operating room, Zhao said he calmed her down by saying: “Don’t be afraid, just relax, I am at your side. If you feel uncomfortable, let me know.”
It was the first time that Zhao has held a patient during anesthesia. “I had to remain totally still,” Zhao said, adding that after holding her for 20 minutes his arms ached.
Administering anesthesia while a patient is sitting requires professional skill, and there is little guidance on such procedures in medical textbooks. Therefore, some young anesthetists “took photos to capture the moment, which later circulated on WeChat”, Zhao said.
The photos soon went viral, with some netizens saying they were moved by the scene and praising the doctor.
I am at your side. If you feel uncomfortable, let me know.”
Zhao Liang, doctor at the First Clinical Hospital affiliated to Harbin Medical University