Esteemed Taitung doctor urges young physicians eastward
Esteemed Taitung doctor urges young physicians eastward
2024-11-26
An esteemed Taitung doctor is urging young physicians to consider a move to Taitung, to support the medical system there. Wang Kuang-te is superintendent of Taitung MacKay Memorial Hospital, and a cardiac surgery expert. He moved to take a job in Taitung 26 years ago, when there were few Taiwanese doctors in the coastal city. Many years later, he has helped turn the situation around, although there still exist big regional differences in the quality of medical care across Taiwan. Wang hopes that more young doctors will hear his call and take the plunge to be in service.
Cardiologist Wang Kuang-te listens patiently to the patient in the clinic. Then he heads to an inpatient ward, and gently tells a patient waiting for surgery the things he needs to be aware of.
In the operating room, Wang’s expression turns serious. Every surgery is potentially life-changing, and there’s no room for error. Years ago, despite better prospects for career progression in Taipei, he decided to come and work here in Taitung.
Wang Kuang-te
Taitung MacKay Memorial Hospital superintendent
I saw how, back then, most of the doctors in Taitung were foreigners. And I thought that was strange. “Where have all the Taiwanese doctors gone?” I felt very sad about that and also very shocked. There was nothing here in Taitung. There were really severe shortages. So when I came to Taitung 26 years ago, it was difficult to put to use everything I had learned in Taipei.
Lie Kuen-cheng
Former mayor of Taitung
I know that because of his reputation, many patients now come all the way from the west of Taiwan to receive surgery from him.
Wang is an authority on cardiac catheterization, and his reputation attracts patients from far-flung locations. After many years in medicine, Wang has one memory that still haunts him.
Wang Kuang-te
Taitung MacKay Memorial Hospital superintendent
A young person had a heart attack and was sent to our hospital. I spent almost a whole evening there, trying to save the patient, but in the end they passed away. And I thought, “How can it be that patients on the east coast, despite paying NHI fees like anybody, receive care that is so lacking compared to that in the west?”
This event prompted Wang to work even harder to raise finances for Taitung’s medical system, and to improve their facilities. His only aim is to provide a better lifeline for patients, and spare them the difficult journey to the west coast for better treatment.
Patient
At that time, the Christian Hospital didn’t have facilities like NMR machines. So I had no choice but to go all the way to NTU Hospital. Today, of course, we’ve had the NMR machine for years already, and it’s a great blessing to the region, of course.
Wang Kuang-te
Taitung MacKay Memorial Hospital superintendent
To our young doctors, who would like to take action, we welcome you to come to Taitung and work with us.
Locals sometimes call Wang “the guardian deity of Taitung health.” As superintendent of his hospital, he wants to welcome in fresh blood, to work together to protect the health of the community.
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台東人的健康守護神 心臟科醫師王光德投身偏鄉醫療
2024-11-26
台東馬偕醫院院長、同時也是心導管手術權威的王光德醫師。26年前捨棄都市的優渥職位，選擇到台東深耕，奉獻精華年歲。身負「挽救生命」重責，他也曾多次眼見人命消逝、卻無能為力，還好在信仰的幫助下，他還是繼續勇往直前、堅持「做對的事」。
診間內，心臟科醫師王光德，耐心的聽著病患訴說。接著又到病房內，親切的提醒，即將要開刀的病患，注意事項。
走進開刀房，王醫師的表情，馬上變得嚴肅，畢竟每一次手術，都攸關生死，不能有絲毫差錯。當年，明明在首都有更好發展，王光德卻選擇到台東服務。
[[馬偕台東醫院長 王光德]]
“當時我看到大部分都是外國醫生，那我就覺得說奇怪，那台灣的醫生都跑哪裡去了，那時候的感覺是很感慨，那也很衝擊。台東這個地方，要什麼沒什麼，缺乏的很厲害，所以26年前我來到台東的時候，其實真的很難發揮在台北所學”
[[前台東市長 賴坤成]]
“我也曉得有很多的西部的患者，慕名他的醫術而來”
身為心導管手術權威，有不少病患慕名而來，不過王光德行醫多年，卻有一個遺憾，讓他一輩子難忘。
[[馬偕台東醫院院長 王光德]]
“一個年輕人，因為急性心肌梗塞，送到我們醫院，我幾乎花了一個晚上的時間，在那邊急救，那最後這個病人後來也走了，就覺得說東部的病人，為什麼一樣是繳健保費，跟西部的醫療就差那麼多”
這也促使王光德，更努力的為台東醫療爭取資源，提升設備，只為了能讓病患，多出一線生機，也不用再舟車勞頓去西部就醫。
[[病患]]
“基督教醫院當時沒有那種，好像沒有那種核磁共振的設備，所以我才不得已，就跑到台大去，當然今天，核磁共振這個檢查有很多年了，當然就是造福地方”
[[馬偕台東醫院院長 王光德]]
“有想作為的一些我們的年輕醫師，歡迎到台東來跟我們一起打拼”
當地稱王光德醫師，是台東人的健康守護神，王院長希望能繼續有新血加入，一起守護台東人的健康。
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