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The country’s best hospitals are crowded and hard to navigate. Some Chinese are hiring personal assistants to help them and their loved ones get the treatment they need. Last year, Zheng, a doctor at a Shanghai hospital, began noticing a curious phenomenon: The same people repeatedly appeared in her consultation room, but each time they were in the company of a different patient. At first glance, these people seemed to be relatives or friends of the sick — they helped the patients carry their things, sat in on consultations, carefully noted down any treatment plans, and sometimes even spoke with the doctors on the patients’ behalf. But it seemed unlikely that they could have so many sick relatives at the same time. Finally, unable to contain her curiosity, Zheng asked one of them what they were doing. The answer surprised her: They were there because they were paid to be there. “Patient companions,” or peizhen , are part of a booming profession in China. According to the Int
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