Doctor Frank Dennis urges medics from Taiwan to consider service abroad
Doctor Frank Dennis urges medics from Taiwan to consider service abroad
2023-10-19
An American doctor who founded Taitung’s first hospital is urging medics from Taiwan to consider service abroad. Frank Dennis founded Taitung Christian Hospital in 1969, after coming to Taiwan in 1961. He dedicated himself particularly to surgery and to serving rural communities in Taitung. The doctor’s contributions to reducing the harm of polio were particularly outstanding. Now, the nonagenarian wants to inspire other medical professionals to also go abroad and support others who may be in need of medical expertise.
Frank Dennis
Doctor and US immigrant
I am a general practitioner of medicine. What I loved the most is when a child had been delivered and I got to place it onto its mother’s belly.
The founding superintendent of Taitung Christian Hospital, Frank Dennis, widely known as Father Dennis, is now 95. In 1961, he and his family moved to Taiwan and Dennis began working in surgery at Pingtung Christian Hospital. In 1965, they moved to Taitung where he opened “Baosang Clinic” in Taitung City.
Frank Dennis
Doctor and U.S. immigrant
Once, it was Lunar New Year, and a patient came to me with a very serious illness, which was jaundice. He had a liver pustule, a lot of belly pain, weak breathing. He obviously needed surgery. The doctors weren’t willing to do it, so I said, “Okay, then I’ll do it.”
That event inspired Dennis to have a new prayer: for a hospital in Taitung. In 1969, Taitung Christian Hospital was built. It was, at the time, cutting-edge. Over 33 years of practice, Dennis was dedicated to medicine in Taitung’s rural villages. In the ’60s, polio was common. In two years, Dennis operated on almost 300 children who had caught the disease. Only in 1994, when he contracted arthritis in both wrists and could no longer perform surgery, did he announce his retirement. Still hale and hearty, he often challenges his son to a game of ping pong. His greatest joys in life are diving and Taiwanese snacks, but above all, his belief in serving all people.
Frank Dennis
Doctor and US immigrant
I hope that Taiwanese doctors and nurses will go abroad and help in places that are lagging, no matter what the possibilities are, using every means to go and help.
Dennis once took his family to the other side of the world, in his quest to spread medical expertise. Now he wants to inspire others to take up that spirit of service and go wherever they are needed.
This story was provided by the program "We Are Family"
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永遠的譚爸 譚維義遠渡重洋翻轉後山醫療
2023-10-19
在台東地區提供完善醫療資源的台東基督教醫院，成立於1969年，創院院長是來自美國，人稱「譚爸」的譚維義醫師，當年他舉家搬到台灣，奉獻偏鄉醫療，今年已經高齡95歲，但仍然心繫台東的醫療，更希望臺灣的醫護人員也能像他當年一樣，有機會到缺乏醫療資源的國家服務。
[[美國新住民 譚維義]]
“我是一個綜合醫生，我最喜歡的是，把那個孩子接生出來了，我就給他放在媽媽的肚子上”
台東基督教醫院的創院院長譚維義，大家都叫他譚爸，今年已經95歲了，譚維義在1961年，帶著全家搭船來到臺灣，到屏東基督教醫院，支援開刀手術，1965年搬到臺東，在臺東市區開設了寶桑診所。
[[美國新住民 譚維義]]
“有一次是過年，來了一個非常嚴重的病人，他黃疸有肝膿包。肚子很痛，呼吸很弱，很明顯他要開刀，醫生不願意，我說ok 這樣好了，我負責”
這件事讓譚維義非常在意，祈願要蓋一間醫院。1969年臺東基督教醫院順利落成，是當時最先進的醫院，行醫33年，他致力於臺東的部落醫療，尤其當時小兒麻痺盛行，他曾經在兩年內，為將近三百位病童開刀，1994年因雙手罹患關節炎，不適合再拿手術刀，才宣布退休。身體十分硬朗的譚維義，興致一來，看到球桌，就喊上小兒子打局乒乓球，尤其是最愛潛水還有臺灣小吃，也讓他念念不忘，但最讓他心繫的，還是為世人服務的信念。
[[美國新住民 譚維義]]
“我希望台灣的醫生、護士，無論有什麼可能，到國外去幫助落後的地方，利用所有的方法，可以去幫助”
就如同當年他帶著一家人，遠渡重洋來到臺灣行醫，翻轉後山的醫療，譚維義希望，有更多人也能奉獻服務，哪裡有需要就往哪裡去。
以上內容由《我們一家人》節目提供 內政部移民署監製
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