Doctors and nurses

Every foreigner who is resident in China has to have a 'medical' for which privilege they must pay $US 100. The medicals take place in an innocuous building bearing a plaque which states that it is the 'health inspection for foreign entry and exit persons'. Does this mean that you have to have a medical before you leave the country too? I wonder. On arrival, I was asked to present two passport photos. On handing them over, the receptionist said in polite English, "Excuse me, but do you have any other photographs with you?" "Only photos of my children" I responded, 'why?'. "Because this one is too small and this one is too big" she said, referring, I assume, to the size of my face relative to the size of the photograph. "No, that's all I have" I said wondering whether I was about to be deported but instead, I was given a metal tag bearing the number 90 and sent to the waiting room to sit with several other slightly nervous looking foreigners (after having paid the required fee).

"Candidate number 82 please come in" intoned a recorded message. Candidate 82, shuffled nervously forward and disappeared into a room from which he did not re-emerge. When my number was called, I went through the door. Forms were filled and I was ushered out of another door into a locker room. "Please remove upper clothing and put on this dressing gown. Please keep on pants" said a pink gowned lady. Doing as instructed, I was told to keep my shoes on but cover them with blue paper bags. I shuffled out in my dressing gown and blue slippers to join the similarly attired foreigners who now all resembled inmates of a lunatic assylum. "Room 110" I was told. I went towards it. There was a screen in front. "Go in please". I went in and had a few pints of blood removed. From there, I had a sight test in room 112, an x-ray in room 113, I was weighed, measured, had my blood pressure taken (all in separate rooms) and somewhat alarmingly, was hooked up to multiple electrodes in another. Orwellian images flowed through my mind but they were just doing an EKG. Finally, I had a conversation with a doctor. "Any operations?" he asked. "A c-section". "Please lie down and undo trousers". 'C-section scar present' I saw him type into the computer. What possible interest can the Chinese government have in that sort of information? I can understand that they might want to check you don't have any infectious diseases but can a c-section scar or absence thereof really be useful information? Will it provide clues as to whether or not I am an enemy of the state or a friendly alien?

My report will arrive 'between 9 and 12 on 29 May. Please pay 30 Yuan for delivery' intoned a further recorded message.