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SINGAPORE – World-renowned liver transplant surgeon Tan Kai Chah, who carried out a life-saving liver transplant on former actress Andrea De Cruz, died on Sunday morning (Dec 5) on the island of Hainan.
The 68-year-old Malaysian, popularly often called Dr Ok.C. Tan, is believed to have died of a coronary heart assault.
He had been on a enterprise journey, working the first Singapore-operated medical centre on the island in southern China, stated the Asian American Medical Group on Sunday night.
Dr Tan was the chief chairman of the Singapore-based medical group, which incorporates the Asian American Liver Centre – a clinic in Gleneagles Hospital – the place he practised.
Ms Angela Choong, its group chief monetary controller, stated Dr Tan had despatched his ordinary “good morning” greetings to her and different colleagues hours earlier than he died between 8.30am and 9.30am in his resort room.
“His demise was very sudden and the workforce remains to be coming to grips with it. Dr Tan was a great boss who was very well-respected in his career. He cared immensely for his sufferers and labored tirelessly to offer them the very best care,” stated Ms Choong.
Dr Tan leaves behind his spouse and daughter.
He was extra well-known because the surgeon who carried out a liver transplant on Ms De Cruz – native actor Pierre Png’s spouse – who suffered liver failure and virtually died after taking doubtful slimming tablets in 2002.
Mr Png, her then boyfriend, donated a part of his liver to avoid wasting her. This was the primary liver transplant the place the Ministry of Well being allowed non-related residing donors to donate.
In an Instagram story on Sunday night, Ms De Cruz wrote :”Relaxation in peace KC… thanks for the final 19 years. I miss you already…”
Mr Png additionally posted a tribute to the surgeon on his Instagram web page: “Nineteen years in the past, you gave her life! You probably did every little thing you might, and yr after yr since, we rejoice our transplant anniversary.
“Many proceed to reward me for what I did, however I at all times say it was all you KC… Right now we misplaced an ideal man, a pioneer in liver transplant surgical procedure.”
Dr Tan additionally handled Johor Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar’s late son, who succumbed to stage 4 liver most cancers in 2015, additionally on Dec 5.
Providing his condolences in a Fb publish on Sunday afternoon, Sultan Ibrahim wrote: “Dato’ Dr Ok.C. Tan headed the workforce of the Singapore docs who sorted and handled my late son, Almarhum Tunku Abdul Jalil, Tunku Laksamana of Johor.
“It’s a unusual coincidence that he handed away immediately, on the identical day that Jalil left us. Might Dr Ok.C. Tan relaxation in peace.”
The surgeon was famend for his pioneering work in residing donor liver transplants (LDLT), which refers to liver transplant surgical procedure from a residing donor.
He pioneered the residing donor liver transplantation programme in Singapore, and helped to begin the liver transplant programme on the King’s Faculty Hospital in London.
In April 2002, the primary profitable LDLT in adults in South-east Asia was carried out at Gleneagles Hospital. Dr Tan and his workforce have carried out about 240 LDLTs.
Among the many 400 liver transplants he had carried out in Britain between 1986 and 1994, many have been procedures that have been carried out for the primary time there.
He additionally efficiently accomplished the primary pilot research on LDLT for youngsters in Britain. In 1995, he carried out South-east Asia’s first paediatric LDLT at a medical centre in Kuala Lumpur.
In 1996, he was appointed director of the liver transplant programme on the Nationwide College Hospital.
The Asian American Medical Group added in its assertion that its board of administrators will convene a gathering quickly to debate the appointment of a managing director, or chairman, or each to succeed Dr Tan.
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