Come February 14 this year there will be an extraordinary conjunction of events.
Other than an obvious fortuitous conjunction of Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year, there are a number of other much lesser known events that we might want to take some time to remember.
In 1942, during the fall of Singapore to the Japanese, a 4th year medical student Yoong Tat Sin, was killed by shrapnel on February 14. This happened at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He later died in SGH. That same evening, a group of his friends decided to give him a proper burial on the grounds of the SGH. During the occasion they were attacked by Japanese gunners and 11 students (5 Chinese, 4 Indians, 1 Malay and 1 Eurasian) perished. They were buried in the SGH grounds, after the British surrender on 16 February. An account of this war time tragedy can be found here.On February 14, 1942, the Japanese had also over-run Alexandra Hospital (then the British Military Hospital) and massacred, bayoneting 250 patients, doctors and nurses. The next day additional groups were taken out and shot. Apparently, Gen Yamashita, upon hearing of this massacre apologised profusely, but it was too late.
The British surrendered on 15 February, 1942. It was also Chinese New Year, then.
February 15 also marks the 83rd anniversary of the College of Medicine Building. It was declared open by the Governor Sir Laurence Nunns Guillemard in 1926. Incidentally the architect of the building PH Keys was also the same chappie who designed Fullerton Building. An account of this, found here.
It is somewhat sad that few remember this history, and the heritage of the medical school and profession has been all but lost. Ironically, in times of deprivation and struggle, the school and profession seem to have had risen to greater heights of glory, than the glass and steel artifices that have been created more recently in times of great wealth.
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9 comments:
Maybe you have a different definition of glory, but I don't think being bombed or bayoneted is very glorious. Or do you want to fast forward ten years for more relevant examples?
touche...!
the ideas were poorly conjuncted...:)
I was refering to the post war years...
I am trying very hard to recall the days before I donned my black tag, but what glorious events occurred in the post-war years?
Hi Gig,
Thanks for researching these important events ( for our local medical community).
Cheers
Dr Huang
Blacktag,
In the midst of today's plenty, people tend to forget how poorly resourced both the medical profession and the medical school were during that post war period - in fact all the way through to the early 80s when the idea of medicine as a engine for economic growth took hold.
But yet, out of that relative deprivation, we were able to develop exceptional standards of medical professionalism and commitment, education and healthcare. Compare that to what's happening today despite the billions thrown into medical education, service and research.
No problm, SC. Wasn't much effort given the info is all out in wiki anyway.... :) Research by wiki....way to go.
Call this blacktag a sceptic.
Are you thinking of political involvement, or are you thinking of an abstract, non-measurable 'professionalism and commitment'?
If the former, the 1940s - 1950s were turbulent times, when people from their teens onwards attained a level of political consciousness we do not see today, primarily as a result of anti-colonialism and WWII. It is quite normal that we find unthinkable the idea of a 23 year old man leading a anti-Japanese resistance in Malaya today.
If the latter, well, there is nothing to argue over if there isn't anything objective to review. It's just ... opinions.
I certainly think some money invested in medical education, service and research is better than no money, or deprivation.
"It is quite normal that we find unthinkable the idea of a 23 year old man leading a anti-Japanese resistance in Malaya today."
Seems easier then, to lay down life and ricebowl, then it is now to forgo that new Porsche.
"If the latter, well, there is nothing to argue over if there isn't anything objective to review. It's just ... opinions."
I guess....
It is really very subjective since there are really no objective ways to measure these values. In absolute terms though, glass and steel, and university rankings will probably win hands down.
"I certainly think some money invested in medical education, service and research is better than no money, or deprivation."
Can't disagree with that. Just that people seemed to have been able to accomplish more, with far less then.
I have posted on Prof Wong Hock Boon before.
http://gigomole.blogspot.com/2009/01/emeritus-professor-wong-hock-boon.html
The achievements of the good Professor, and others like him, are iconic even to this day, and remain unmatched despite the $$$ spent. We are far more ready to accept fame through purchase of foreign talent.
"Unhappy is the land that needs heroes." Bertolt Brecht.
As for your foreign talent comment, think Mekie, Ransome, Brunel Hawes for the colonial spice, and the entire army of Malayan doctors staffing our hospitals and administration then much like ... today. Surprise, surprise. The more things change, the more the remain the same. I seek to avoid the rose-tinted hue of a time when housemen had to iron casesheets.
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