Pioneering Taiwanese cardiologist Lien Wen-pin dead at 97

Taipei, Dec. 8 (CNA) Lien Wen-pin (連文彬), a cardiologist whose nearly seven-decade career yielded numerous medical firsts in Taiwan, has died at the age of 97.

Lien's family confirmed his death in a social media post over the weekend.

Born on Dec. 29, 1927, Lien began working at National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) in 1955.

Over the next several decades, he carried out a series of medical firsts that laid the groundwork for modern cardiology in Taiwan, including NTUH's inaugural open-heart operation and, in 1969, the hospital's first permanent pacemaker implantation.

He later led the medical team for Taiwan's first democratically elected president, Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), between 1988 and 2000. Lee died in 2020.

Even after retiring in 1999, Lien continued practicing medicine and donated his more than NT$4 million (US$128,393) pension to establish the New Century Health Care Promotion Foundation, which supports public health initiatives and medical education.

His decades of contributions earned him a Taiwan Medical Dedication Award, a government honor recognizing professionals who have significantly advanced medical care and public health.

When receiving the award in 2019, Lien said he had never grown tired of cardiology research because "the heart is the most loyal organ in the human body."

In a Facebook post, Wu Ming-shiang (吳明賢), dean of the NTU College of Medicine and former NTUH superintendent, mourned Lien on behalf of the school's faculty, students and medical personnel. Wu praised Lien's calm precision in handling complex cases and said his kindness and patience shaped his earliest understanding of what a doctor should be.

Wu said he was particularly influenced by Lien's frequent reminder to "leave some time for coffee and act after clear consideration," advice underscoring that medical decisions require reflection and sound judgment rather than urgency or intuition.