Honouring Dr Yan: Chinese medical pioneer travelled to South Africa 120 years ago to provide medical services
The Adler Museum at Wits Medical School in Joburg is running the Dr Yan Fuqing Memorial Exhibition in honour of the Chinese medical pioneer who made notable sacrifices, when he was only a 22-year-old physician, and travelled to South Africa in 1904.
Around 120 years ago, Dr Yan embarked on the perilous journey of nearly 10,000 miles to South Africa, to help Chinese mining labourers languishing under deadly diseases in incredibly harsh living conditions.
Speaking at the official opening of the exhibition, Acting Consul-General of the Consulate General of China in Johannesburg, Zhou Yujiang said Dr Yan intervened to assist Chinese mining labourers who did not speak and did not have smooth access to local medical provisions.
“It’s a great honour and pleasure for me to come with my colleagues from the Consulate General and I stand here on behalf of the Chinese Consulate, to congratulate the exhibition. The exhibition is held in the biggest museum of medical science in the world, I heard, and I have to say the Adler Museum is a remarkable museum. The theme of the museum, Dr Yan Fuqing, who was a very important figure in the development of Chinese modern health science,” he said.
“He is also an important educator in terms of medical health. Not long after his graduation from Yale University, after he got his doctor’s degree, he made an important decision that he is coming to South Africa to provide medical service to the local miners from China. They did not speak English and they could not have smooth access to the local health providers.”
Zhou said Dr Yan’s adventure laid a solid foundation for his career which flourished into a far-reaching impact for China.
When he returned to China, after the South African sojourn, Zhou said Dr Yan made great impact towards the development of China’s medical science.
“He established four medical schools or hospitals and all four institutions became very famous hospitals until today in China. He is a pioneer in the field of cooperation in the medical science between China and the other parts of the world. As I said, 120 years he came to South Africa to provide medical service to the local miners from China,” he said.
“In that sense, the is a witness, a participant and a contributor to the friendship between China and South Africa. He is also a contributor to the people to people exchanges between our two countries. Today, 120 years later, we are here to commemorate Dr Yan. I think what we are to do is to learn from him and carry on with the spirit of being a pioneer in new and not very familiar fields.”
Chief executive of the South African Medical Association (SAMA), Dr Mzulungile Nodikida saluted Dr Yan, saying the as a South African with years of studying medicine in Cuba and public health in China, his experience, strength and resolve have been renewed to further pursue his dreams by the amazing story of Dr Yan.
“To the organisers, thank you for the invitation to join you and your esteemed guests today. I feel very honoured to be here and for the opportunity to share my story with you, on the day in which Dr Yan Fuqing’s life is being celebrated in a form of an exhibition. • His life story is deeply inspirational, especially for someone like me who is passionate about public health and primary health,” said Nodikida.
“The way in which Dr Yan lived his life is a true testament of the ancient wisdom: ‘that the purpose of life is leading a life of purpose. And the ability to fulfil one’s calling. Dr Yan touched the lives of over 10,000 South African mine workers when he worked in South Africa in 1904. Believe me, the impact of working in the mines on one’s later quality of life is devastating, especially if proper precautions were not taken.”
Nodikida recounted that having worked as the clinical director at the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha, the only hospital with an ex-miner’s One Stop Clinic in the province of Eastern Cape, he experienced first-hand the devastating impact which working in the mines has on a person’s quality of life much later in life.
“It is really one of the reasons I’m in awe of the great work and dedication of Dr Yan, especially during those days in South Africa. My own journey in life and one of my major dreams got renewed from reading Dr Yan’s life story. I was trained as a medical doctor in Cuba – a country with one of the best health outcomes in the world but with a very low GDP (gross domestic product).”
On behalf of the Adler Museum of Medicine, chairperson of the Adler Museum of Medicine Advisory Board, Prof Richard Cook said the renowned university is proud to add Dr Yan to the list of role models which students can reflect upon and be inspired to reach the same levels of commitment.
“I am very well, from my reading on Dr Yan, that he saw the importance of following many Chinese mining labourers to South Africa. The travelled many thousands of miles to attend to their good health in this country, at the time.
“At the Adler Museum, we wish this space to be a catalyst for the learning of our health science students. We have introduced the history of medicine into our undergraduate curriculum in the teaching of our health science students. We look to the role models who have been involved, and are involved in the provision of health care in South Africa through the modern history of medicine in our country.”
IOL