Nanjing Brain Hospital
Premier psych ward in Nanjing. Predominantly locked ward only.
Introduction
Nanjing Brain Hospital is the primary and the best psych ward locally. The hospital is occupied with locked ward, which has a higher security level.
Anglophone Doctors
Most people in Nanjing have an attitude issue, which is concurred by the Japanese Army. Since the author refills her ADHD script frequently, she goes to Paediatrician Section on 6/F in the outpatient building. Dr Gao Huiyun can read, process, and sign English documents if you maintain constant patient-physician relationship with her. Most of the doctors there cannot issue documents in English. None of these doctors are confirmed to speak (in verbal sense) English.
Dr Gao Huiyun can only be accessed by a Putonghao of 6/F on Wednesday afternoon or Friday morning.
Accessibility
The Hospital is hostile for people with physical challenges. Lifts are almost always not usable due to occupancy. Walking to the 6/F could be quite a bother, and sometimes the pharmacy can locate on the 2/F instead of G/F.
Getting an appointment is hard. Besides Putonghao of the Department of General Psychiatry, all other departments require an appointment in advance. To secure an appointment, it's best to use mobile client to secure one 7 calendar days before, on 08:30.
If any bloodwork is needed, make sure you are ready before 10:30 on the drawing counter. Most of blood works will have a cut-off time by 10:30. Even though most drawing is available during weekends, subjects like sex hormones are not actually tested until workdays. It's possible to separately order E2 test, which, by itself (drawing fee not included) is 60 CNY. For a lithium concentration test, it costs about 7 CNY.
Insurance & Fee
Nanjing Brain Hospital is a Third-A hospital. However, if you have Nanjing residency, you can designate this hospital as your chronic / special outpatient hospital. Please note, in actual time, it takes at least a month to finish registration, after you finish your paperwork on G/F for special / chronic illness filing. It requires either an inpatient diagnosis from the hospital (which will usually take a regular hosptialisation session to obtain), or an external diagnosis from other hospitals (original required). In Tower 6, each floor has four special single room. It costs 600 CNY per night, and it is entirely out of coverage. Single room has two beds and requires mandatory caregiver. You can either ask for a friend or hire one at 220 – 260 CNY per day. The caregiver must maintain there with you 24/7. You can stay at your room if you wish. Transgender individuals are discouraged from leaving the room to the living room. The room allows use of electronics and has a 5W short charging cable. Power banks are also allowed, but cables used can only be around 10cm. You can ask the nurse station to charge for you.
Neurodiversity & Transgenderism
The Hospital is famously hostile against transgender people, as such reputation precedes them. Transgender people may be shaved against their will in locked wards. The Hospital only accommodates unisex ward, and no mixed-gender ward is known.
The Hospital recognises neurodiversity. If you are seeking a diagnosis, it's suggested to get reassessed on the 6/F. Alternatively, if you have a confirmed diagnosis of Asperger's or similar, you can directly merge your diagnosis. All first-time visit will be charged with first-time assessment fee of approximately 36 CNY.
Transgender identities or neurodiversity can be a factor to increase security level within inpatient service. Increased security level can result in suffering, which will be explained in other sections.
The possibility of being forcibly shaved is high, either out of ignorance of the staff or as a punishment. Often (usually on Monday) the staff would randomly point at someone to get shaved, and at that time resistance would be hard. It could also be used as a punishment, where shaving will be done whilst restrained.
Inpatient Life, and Security Level
For inpatient visitors, most hospitalisation happens in locked ward. All floors of Tower 6 have open nurse station, and only a single door for entrance and exit. It makes the door easier to be smashed open (but what happens after is to be expected).
A hospitalisation session is about four weeks, and average spending is about 25,000 CNY per session. Usually, the hospital has a budget expectation per patient, and one is only discharged after reaching the expectation. For NBH, it is about 15,000 - 22,000 CNY. They will try their best to avoid admitting anyone who would stay below 3 days, since it follows a different procedure to discharge.
There are four extra warnings which can be put on a patient, which are black (aggressive), red (self-harm), yellow (stashing medicines), and green (absconding).
Tower 6 retains the main inpatient function in the Hospital.
Personal belongings are largely forbidden. Uniform is required, but not necessarily wore in full. The uniform does not suit for those who are more strong built than regular people, and there is only one size.
When leaving & entering living room, there are randomly enforced pat-down search. Those are likely to happen, and it may be conducted from nurses or nursing workers of all genders.
Pen, rosary beads, and basically all personal belongings are forbidden from entry. Cosmetics are shared over the entire ward unless you explicitly demanded not to do so. There could be possibility to hide E2 gel during the process, but it would be hard unless you opt for high-end ensuite. All cosmetics are locked and cannot be used unless supervised.
Showers are arranged on Monday and Wednesday, and the place is not guaranteed. At weekends, the laundromat is closed, and changing uniform is not possible.
Daily routine is about a mandatory wake-up at 06:00. Lights and sounds will be full on. Sensory overloading can happen, and they will refuse to accommodate during this hour due to understaff. However, even before 06:00, there can be random, unnoted blood-drawing or other obnoxious checks to wake you.
Usually, on 08:30, there will be the morning medical round. Doctors do not necessarily talk with you. There could be occasion check from Chief of Medicine, or nothing at all. Checks are rudimentary and medication plan is mainly for stabilising your mood, even at grave cost of your function.
On 12:00, patients are allowed to go back for a short sleep, during 12:00 - 14:00; From 14:30 to 16:30, patients can have visitors. In theory, only immediate families can come. In reality, in most cases, as long as the visitors are less than 2, they can come. Foods and belongings are subjected to visual and physical search. Smuggling drugs are less likely to happen.
Breakfast is fixed and usually happens at 07:30; lunch at about 11:30, and dinner at about 17:00. After dinner, there will be a short pause before evening medication. Only after all medications are dispensed patients can be allowed to go back to their room. Lights-out is about 20:30.
Restraints (magnetic, bed) might be used if you present agitation or aggressive behaviour, such as smashing things or going into arguments with doctors. The restraints can be two points only (wrists) or six points (wrists, waist, ankles and shoulders) if you have a known history. When going out for medical exams, without exception you are required to wear a uniform and be restrained by two points. It is almost bound to be shown in public while tied up due to examinations in Tower 2.
During restrained, if you are deemed compliant, you might be allowed to temporarily leave the bed for restroom break; if not, diapers and chamber pots will be offered instead. You might end up excrete in public, in bed, and under CCTV.