Pioneering surgeon behind nation's first kidney transplant dies at 95

His work enabled the procedure to become a standard treatment for kidney failure here

- Salma Khalik

On July 8, 1970, Dr Chan Kong Thoe created medical history in Singapore when he gave Ms Doreen Tan, then 29, a new lease of life with the country's first kidney transplant.

In the 55 years since then, surgeons here have done thousands of kidney transplants - with organs from living and dead donors. Transplants give patients with kidney failure a longer life expectancy, as well as a better quality of life.

On Feb 1, Dr Chan died at the age of 95. He leaves his wife, Dr Chan Tuck Kin, three daughters, six grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

Professor A. Vathsala, director of the National University Centre for Organ Transplantation, described Dr Chan, who served two terms as president of the prestigious Tanglin Club, as a "pioneering figure in Singapore's medical history".

She said the first transplant operation he did in 1970 "set the stage for living donor kidney transplant and subsequent organ transplant operations of the heart, liver, lungs and pancreas to be performed in Singapore over the subsequent five decades".