The Greater Tainan Government unveiled a bronze bust of Wang King-ho (王金河), a famed doctor popularly known as the “Father of Blackfoot Disease,” on National Doctors’ Day on Nov. 12.
The statue was a project of the city’s Tourism Bureau to honor Wang for his work in combating blackfoot disease, a condition caused by drinking arsenic-contaminated well water. The bust was installed at the Taiwan Blackfoot Disease Socio-Medical Service Memorial Park in Beimen District (北門), where Wang used to have his clinic.
Although some locals have expressed mixed feelings about the event — because of the customary practice of honoring someone with a statue only if the individual has passed away — Wang, 98, said he did not feel that the statue was a curse, adding that he was enjoying the occasion.
Photo: Yang Chin-cheng, Taipei Times
“I didn’t really do any great work. Actually, I feel guilty because the local government had to go through all the trouble of carving and producing this bronze sculpture for me,” he said modestly. “Anyway, I like it.”
“It looks a lot like me, very handsome,” Wang said.
The bust was made by bronze master Hsiao Chi-lang (蕭啟郎), who highlighted Wang’s esteemed attributes of benevolence and generosity in medical service.
Wang’s eldest son, Wang Chao-lung (王朝龍), said the idea of having a bust of his father did feel odd at first, but he later decided not to refuse the bureau’s good intention.
Greater Tainan Tourism Bureau Director Julian Chen (陳俊安) said the bust “is to salute Wang King-ho’s lifetime’s work on blackfoot disease.”
“His dedication and sacrifice for the cause is like the spirit of Albert Schweitzer [doctor and Nobel Peace Prize winner] for people in southern Taiwan. The Tainan government wants to commemorate his great deeds and dedication for future generations to remember,” Chen said.
Guided tours and information displays at the memorial park, along with Wang King-ho’s bust, give visitors a better understanding of the history and medical developments in blackfoot disease, as well as the doctor’s unselfish service to society, he added.
With the aid of the Mustard Seed Mission, a Christian charity, Wang King-ho set up a free clinic for the treatment of blackfoot disease in the then-Beimen Township in 1960.
That began his more than 25 years of practice mainly dedicated to the treatment of blackfoot disease. At one time, the clinic took in more than 80 patients who lived and were treated for free at the clinic.
For patients who died destitute, Wang King-ho also helped pay for their funeral expenses.
After World War II, Wang King-ho was elected the first township chief of Beimen, and went on to serve two terms on the then-Tainan county council.
Wang is also a recipient of the Lifetime Medical Service Award and Outstanding Tainan Citizen Award for his work.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS