A leading Taiwanese expert on liver transplants has received a medal from the foreign ministry in recognition of his efforts to treat patients both in Taiwan and abroad.
During a ceremony on Wednesday, Foreign Minister David Lin awarded the Friend of Foreign Service Medal to Chen Chao-long, head of the Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.
Ambassadors from the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Paraguay were in attendance at the ceremony. Chen visited the three countries in February to share his expertise in carrying out living donor liver transplants.
Chen performed the first successful liver transplant in Asia in 1984 and has since continued to advance his transplant techniques. In 2012, he completed his 1,000th transplant.
Foreign Minister David Lin said that over a long career, Chen has led delegations to Japan, the Philippines, the United States, European countries, and Taiwan’s allies in Central and South America. Lin praised Chen’s willingness to share his expertise with others.