장기려 張起呂
Surgeon, founder of Busan Gospel Hospital, creator of the Chungsipja medical insurance, 1979 Ramon Magsaysay Award for public service; known as the 'Korean Schweitzer'
| Life | 1911 ~ 1995 |
| Era | 근현대 |
| Clan | 안동 장씨 |
Life & career
Jang Gi-ryeo (張起呂, 1911-1995) was a surgeon born in Ibam-ri, Yangha-myeon, Yongcheon County, North Pyongan Province. His father was Jang Un-seop and his mother Choe Yun-gyeong; Wikipedia gives his seat of origin as Andong. After graduating from Songdo High School and Gyeongseong Medical College he earned a medical doctorate from Nagoya Imperial University in 1940, and served as head of surgery at the Pyongyang Union Christian Hospital and as a professor at Pyongyang Medical College.
After fleeing south in December 1950 he worked at the Third Army Hospital in Busan, and in 1951 founded the Gospel Hospital in Amnam-dong, Seo-gu, Busan (predecessor of today's Kosin Medical Center), treating refugees and the poor free of charge. He was professor and later dean at Seoul National University and Pusan National University medical schools, and in 1959 succeeded in a major liver resection, which makes him a pioneer of liver surgery in Korea; 20 October, the date of the operation, was later designated 'Liver Day'.
In 1968 he founded the Chungsipja Medical Cooperative (Busan Chungsipja medical insurance) to help poor neighbours and served as its head; it is regarded as the beginning of Korea's medical insurance system. He received the 1979 Ramon Magsaysay Award for public service, the first Ho-Am Prize and other honours, and died on 25 December 1995 at Seoul Paik Hospital. He is buried in Moran Park Cemetery in Maseok, Gyeonggi Province, was posthumously awarded the Order of Civil Merit (Mugunghwa) in 1996 and is called the 'Korean Schweitzer'.
The Gospel Hospital and Chungsipja Insurance
The Gospel Hospital began on the principle of treating poor patients free of charge, and Jang Gi-ryeo served as its first director from 1951 to June 1976. The Chungsipja Medical Cooperative he founded in 1968 shared medical costs through low premiums and is evaluated as a forerunner of the later national health insurance system. He also founded the Chungsipja Hospital in 1976.
Assessment and the Andong Jang
Jang Gi-ryeo is counted among the best-known modern figures of the Andong Jang and often heads lists of its notable people. The Indong Jang is a separate clan, so confirm your seat of origin from your genealogy. His son Jang Ga-yong also became a surgeon.
Grave
He is buried in Moran Park Cemetery in Maseok, Gyeonggi Province.
Descendants
His wife was Kim Bong-suk and his sons were Jang Hak-yong and Jang Ga-yong (a surgeon); Jang Ga-yong's son Jang Yeo-gu is also introduced as a surgeon.