Moroccan student spends unforgettable CNY in Yantian hospital

Liyas （C）poses for a photo with two nurses at Yantian People's Hospital. File photo

An international student from Morocco, currently studying at Zhengzhou University, spent the recent Chinese New Year in a Yantian hospital. The young man said it was the most heartwarming and unforgettable experience.

Early February, Liyas took a few days off from his winter vacation to visit a friend in Shenzhen. At Dameisha Beach, excited to see the sea for the first time, he started to run and unexpectedly tripped, then fell to the ground.

After hitting the ground, he felt a sharp pain in his neck, and his arms went numb and limp. Liyas panicked, with fear clearly written on his face. Tourists nearby quickly gathered around. Someone called an ambulance, while others comforted him in English, telling him not to move.

Soon, an ambulance arrived and took him to the emergency department of Yantian District People's Hospital.

A CT scan revealed a fracture of the fifth cervical vertebra (C5). After consultation, the orthopedic surgeons suspected a possible spinal cord injury. In the emergency room, treatments began promptly. The doctors used a neck brace to stabilize his cervical spine, then administered hormone therapy along with medication to protect his nerves and reduce swelling.

After being admitted to the inpatient department, Liyas, frustrated by the pain and worried about his recovery, asked the doctors about his progress every day.

His attending physician, Lu Chenhuan, patiently used a translation app to help explain his condition. Lu would also draw simple diagrams and use gestures to get the ideas across.

"In pain?" "Numb?" Gradually, Liyas began to understand these everyday inquiries and could respond with simple Chinese characters. The doctors checked on his recovery during their daily rounds, while the nurses frequently visited him, fetching him water, and helping him change clothes and order meals.

As the Chinese New Year approached, his friend and fellow countryman Harris chose to stay with him in the ward. The hospital then arranged a comfortable double room for them. The staff decorated the ward with red lanterns and festive ornaments so that the two would feel warmth in a place far away from home.

After more than 10 days of treatment, Liyas' neck pain subsided, and the numbness and weakness in his upper limbs became much less noticeable.

On the day of his discharge, the young man repeatedly said "Thank you" in Chinese to the orthopedic medical team.

"From the ambulance picking me up, to every day of my hospital treatment, there were people helping me and taking care of me. Thank you, Shenzhen. Thank you, Chinese doctors," Liyas said, holding Lu's hand.

An image generated by Doubao AI.

Here are some tips for international students caught in an accident.

As long as you have purchased the mandatory "Comprehensive Insurance for International Students in China" (usually from Ping An Insurance, at 800 yuan a year, approximately US$116.5) when you enrolled, expenses for accidental hospitalization are generally reimbursed at 100% (up to a limit of 400,000 yuan).

Call 400-810-5119 (Ping An Insurance 24-hour bilingual hotline) to report the incident and file a claim. Customer service will guide you on which hospital to go to.

Do not choose international medical departments, VIP wards, private hospitals, or special needs outpatient clinics.

When the doctor prescribes medication, remind them, "I have international student insurance. Please prescribe medications covered by medical insurance as much as possible."

Upon discharge, obtain these official documents from the hospital: an invoice, a detailed list of expenses, and a discharge summary clearly stating the cause of the injury and the hospitalization process.

You also need to write a statement of what happened and have it stamped by the university's international office or the local police station.

Cosmetic surgery, dental procedures, childbirth, and abortion are not covered by the insurance, which also excludes hospitalization due to recurrence of pre-existing conditions from before coming to China.

Meanwhile, foreign employees in China can ask their employer to purchase medical insurance for them, in addition to any commercial policies they wish to buy on their own.

Source: Shenzhen Daily