The doctors and nurses at E-Da Hospital in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City were praised for their exemplary skills and professionalism Aug. 10 by a senior government official from Republic of China (Taiwan) diplomatic ally Palau after performing emergency surgery and saving his life last month.
“They gave me a second chance at life,” said Rebluud Kesolei, deputy chief of staff to Palau President Tommy Remengesau, during a special ceremony at the hospital attended by the medical team and its leader EDH Superintendent Dr. Tu Yuan-kun.
Kesolei suffered a massive brain hemorrhage July 13 in the Western Pacific nation. Following his admission to Belau National Hospital in a critical condition, doctors determined the facility did not have the necessary equipment to treat him and the decision was made to reach out to the ROC for assistance.
After discussions with Palau Minister of Health Robert Emais, a call was placed to ROC Ambassador Michael Y. K. Tseng who wasted no time in arranging for the medivac of Kesolei via an air ambulance dispatched from Taiwan the following day.
But Kesolei, who was paralyzed and unconscious, needed to be stabilized before takeoff. Fortunately, Tu and a group of EDH medicos were in country overseeing a medical internship program between Kaohsiung-based I-Shou University and Palau’s Ministry of Health.
One of the EDH physicians, Dr. Liang Cheng-loong, quickly assembled a team and performed an emergency operation to drain the buildup of blood from Kesolei’s skull. After the procedure, the neurosurgeon watched over his patient during the flight to Taiwan.
Kesolei, who was moved from intensive care to a regular ward July 26 at EDH, is making a steady recovery and expected to return Aug. 12 to Palau. (SFC-E)
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